^  PRINCETON,    N.  J. 


Purchased  by  the  Hammill   Missionary  Fund. 


BV  3625  .U4  M32  1890 
Harrison,  Alexina  Mackay. 
A.M.  Mackay,  pioneer 
missionary  of  the  Church 


.7/  A/ '    '\ 


m^f 


^PL'1,^%^ 


9 


c^ 


A.  M.  MACKAY, 

|3ioiuer  ^Tissionarg  of  1^£  C^urt^  piissionarg  ^otielg  to  ^pnba. 


BY     HIS    SISTER. 


IVITH  PORTRAIT  AND  MAP. 


AUTHOR'S   EDITION. 


N^tD  fork: 
A.   C.  ARMSTRONG  AND  SON. 

1890. 


"Earth  needs  self-denying  men." — Bonar, 


To  MY  DEAR  Father, 
THE  REVEREND   ALEX.    MACKAY,  LL.D., 

WHOSE  PAINSTAKING  INTEREST 

IN  THE 

TRAINING  AND  EARLY  EDUCATION   OF   HIS   CHILDREN 

LAID  THE  FOUNDATION   OF 

THE  NOBLE  SELF-SACRIFICING  LIFE 

OF  THE  SUBJECT 

OF  THIS 

MEMOIR. 


"  It  is  no  sacrifice,  as  some  think,  to  come  here 
as  pioneers  of  Christianity  and  of  civilization.  I 
would  not  give  my  position  here  for  all  the  world. 
A  powerful  race  has  to  be  won  from  darkness  to 
light  ;  superstition  and  idolatry  have  to  be  over- 
thrown ;  men  have  to  be  taught  to  love  God  and 
love  their  neighbour,  which  means  the  uprooting  of 
institutions  that  have  lasted  for  centuries ;  labour 
made  noble,  the  slave  set  free,  knowledge  imparted, 
and  wisdom  implanted  ;  and,  above  all,  that  true 
wisdom  taught  which  alone  can  elevate  man  from  a 
brute  to  a  son  of  God.  Who  would  not  willingly 
engage  in  such  noble  work,  and  consider  it  the 
highest  honour  on  earth  to  be  called  to  do  it .-' " 
Mackay,   Uganda,  Nov.  igth,  1878. 


PREFACE. 

'  I  "HIS  IS  not  a  history  of  the  Uganda 
-*-  Mission,  but  of  one  member  only  of  the 
few  hitherto  connected  with  it.  When  my 
brother  received  his  appointment  from  the 
Committee  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society, 
he  gave  himself  up  fully  to  his  work,  with  a 
determination  to  devote  all  his  ability  and  his 
life  to  it. 

What  his  ideas  of  Missionary  work  were, 
especially  of  a  missionary  pioneer,  and  how  he 
laboured  to  work  out  those  ideas,  will  appear 
from  his  letters. 

It  was  his  wish,  in  the  event  of  his  dying  in 
Africa,  that  I  should  write  this  Memoir  ;  and 
however  deep  my  sense  of  unfitness  for  the 
task  may  be,  the  love  I  have  for  him  makes 
his  wish  a  law  which  I  gladly  obey. 

It  was  my  privilege  to  spend  all  the  early 
part  of  my  life  with  him,  up  to  the  time  of 
his  going  to  Germany,  as  also  the  last  six 
months  of  his  residence  there,  when  he  was 
appointed  by  the  C.M.S.  as  one  of  the  pioneer 
expedition   to   Uganda,  and  from  that  time  to 


vi  PREFACE. 

his  call  Upwards,  I  was  in  constant  communi- 
cation with  him. 

I  must  acknowledge  my  special  obligation  to 
his  friend  and  six  years'  companion  in  labour, 
the  Rev.  R.  P.  Ashe,  M.A.,  etc.,  author  of 
"  Two  Kings  of  Uganda,"  who  has  testified  in 
this  book  to  the  spirit  and  method  of  my 
brother's  work  during  those  years  of  united 
labour  and  intimate  fellowship. 

I  also  tender  my  warmest  thanks  to  Mr. 
Eugene  Stock,  Editorial  Secretary  to  the 
C.M.S.,  for  permission  to  make  use  of  such 
portions  of  the  Society's  publications  as  I  con- 
sidered necessary. 

My  father  has  also  placed  at  my  disposal 
his  fourteen  years'  African  correspondence,  but 
no  attempt  has  been  made  to  gather  letters 
from  his  numerous  friends.  I  have,  for  the 
most  part,  contented  myself  with  extracts  from 
the  journals  and  letters  in  my  own  possession, 
else  this  volume  must  have  been  swollen  to 
twice  its  present  size. 

May  it  speak  to  the  hearts  of  all  who  read  it, 
so  as  to  advance  the  work  for  which  he  gave 
his  life ! 

J.  W.  H. 

The  Manse,  Niton,  I.W, 
September y  1890. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGB 

Boyhood  ..••...«.       ...i 


CHAPTER  II. 
Life  in  Edinburgh  and  Berlin  ..*•••        9 

CHAPTER  III. 
On  the  Road 35 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Arrives  in  Uganda 99 

CHAPTER  V. 
Heathen  Superstitions '43 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Cruelty  of  the  Heathen i79 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Saabadu's  Account  of  his  Visit  to  England  .        .        .201 

CHAPTER   VIII. 
The  Tide  Ebbs  and  Flows 212 


viil  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER   IX. 

PAGE 

Fiery  Trials 253 

CHAPTER  X. 
Companions  in  Toil  and  Tribulation       ....    297 

CHAPTER   XL 
Alone 319 

CHAPTER   Xn. 
Remedies  Suggested 339 

CHAPTER  Xni. 
Driven  Out 371 

CHAPTER   XIV. 
Mission  to  Mohammedans 415 

CHAPTER   XV. 
Slave  Raiding  and  the  Slave  Trade       .        .        .        .431 

CHAPTER   XVI. 
How  is  Africa  to  be  Evangelized  ? 443 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
Mackav's  I-ast  Message 465 


BOYHOOD. 


A.  M.  M. 


His  Early  Years  Gave  a  Beautiful  Promise 

Of  Vigour  of  Understanding, 

Kindness  of  Heart, 

AND 

Christian  Nobleness  of  Principle: 
His  Manhood  Abundantly   Fulfilled   It. 

— Dr.  Arnold's  InscriptioK  to  the  Memory  c/G.  Evelyn,  Etq. 


CHAPTER  I. 
BOYHOOD. 

IN  the  little  village  of  Rhynie,  situated  in  an 
obscure  nook  of  the  agricultural  county  of  Aber- 
deen, on  the  13th  of  October,  1849,  Alexander  M. 
Mackay  first  saw  the  light.  His  father  was  Free 
Church  minister  of  the  parish,  but  at  this  date  had 
not  yet  entered  the  Manse,  but  occupied  the  house 
which  for  many  years  afterwards  was  the  early  home 
of  James  Macdonell,  the  distinguished  journalist, 
whose  life  has  recently  been  so  graphically  written  by 
the  editor  of  the  British  Weekly. 

About  the  same  time  the  Manses  of  the  neighbour- 
ing parishes  of  Keig,  Insch,  and  Auchindoir  gave 
to  the  world  respectively  Professor  Wm.  Robertson 
Smith,  Professor  Wm.  Grey  Elmslie,  and  Dr.  Wm. 
Robertson  Nicoll ;  while  about  two  years  later  was 
born,  in  the  secluded  Manse  of  Half  Morton,  in  Dum- 
friesshire, Dr.  John  Smith,  destined  to  become  the 
loved  friend  and  companion  of  Mackay,  as  medical 
missionary  in  the  Nyanza  Pioneer  Expedition. 

One  asks,  how  do  these  Free  Church  Manses  pro- 
duce such  extraordinary  men  ?  Some  attribute  it  to 
the    stern    training   in  duty,  others    to  the  bracing 


BOYHOOD. 


influence  of  the  Calvinistic  creed.  A  celebrated 
London  physician  declares  it  is  due  to  the  severity 
of  the  northern  climate,  while  another  suggests  that 
the  oatmeal  is  especially  favourable  to  intellectual 
vitality.  But  whatever  truth  there  may  be  in  these 
opinions,  we  are  inclined  to  think  that  it  is  mainly 
due  to  the  Spirit  of  Christ  in  the  home,  to  the  purity 
of  the  parents'  lives,  to  the  godly  upbringing  of 
their  children,  and  to  the  intellectual  atmosphere  to 
which  they  are  accustomed,  consequent  largely  on 
the  university  training  and  literary  tastes  and  friend- 
ships of  the  father, — in  a  word,  plain  living,  high 
thinking,  and  that  "godliness  which  is  profitable  to 
all  things." 

Mackay's  father  was  himself  an  ardent  student,  and 
a  man  of  marked  ability  ;  and  as  in  the  extreme  rigour 
of  the  long  winter  (besides  his  pulpit  ministrations) 
little  parochial  work  could  be  done,  he  devoted  con- 
siderable time  to  the  publication  of  various  scientific 
books ;  and  being  a  born  teacher  of  youth,  nothing 
delighted  him  more  than  the  instruction  of  his  boy, 
who  until  the  age  of  fourteen  years  learned  everything 
he  knew  from  him.     We  well  remember  him — 

"  With  a  forehead  fair  and  saintly, 
Which  two  blue  eyes  undershine. 
Like  meek  prayers  before  a  shrine  " — 

at  the  age  of  three  years  reading  the  New  Testament 
with  fluency,  while  at  seven  years  of  age  his  text- 
books were  Milton's  "  Paradise  Lost,"  Russell's 
"  Hi.story   of   Modern    Europe,"    Gibbon's   "Decline 


WS  FATHER'S  COMPANION.  S 

and  Fall  of  the  Roman  Empire,"  and  Robertson's 
"  History  of  the  Discovery  of  America."  He  was  his 
father's  constant  companion  in  his  walks,  and  to  this 
day  the  villagers  recall  how  they  wondered  at  seeing 
them  so  frequently  stop  to  look  for  something  on  the 
road,  while  the  fact  was  that  the  father  with  his  stick 
was  demonstrating  a  proposition  of  Euclid,  tracing 
out  the  supposed  course  of  the  river  Zambesi,  illus- 
trating the  elliptical  motion  of  the  planets,  or,  as  the 
case  might  be,  describing  some  huge  calamites  he  had 
found  in  the  lowermost  strata  of  the  Old  Red  Sand- 
stone, hitherto  supposed  to  be  unfossiliferous.  In  this 
way  the  boy  acquired  a  vast  amount  of  information 
on  all  sorts  of  subjects  ;  and  as  letters  were  often 
received  at  the  Manse,  and  read  and  talked  about  in 
his  presence,  from  such  men  as  Hugh  Miller,  Sir 
Roderick  I.  Murchison,  Professor  Piazzi  Smythe,  and 
A.  Keith  Johnston,  H.M.  Geographer  for  Scotland, 
his  mind  seemed  to  develop  rapidly. 

In  the  autumn  of  1859,  prior  to  the  meeting  of  the 
British  Association  in  Aberdeen,  Sir  Roderick  Murchi- 
son and  Sir  A.  Ramsay,  of  H.  M.  Geological  Survey, 
being  on  a  tour  through  Scotland,  were  guests  for  a 
few  days  at  the  Manse,  and  were  greatly  attracted  by 
the  boy's  wonderful  skill  in  map-drawing,  and  by  the 
dexterity  of  his  fingers  in  type-setting,  and  the  accu- 
racy of  the  proof-sheets  which  he  could  turn  out  from 
his  little  printing  press.  Sir  Roderick  presented  him 
with  a  copy  of  "  Small  Beginnings,  or  the  Way  to 
Get  On,"  which  seemed  to  fire  his  youthful  ambition. 


BOYHOOD. 


But  a  change  gradually  came  upon  the  boy,  and  from 
eleven  to  thirteen  years  of  age,  nature  seemed  to 
assert  itself,  and  from  being  formerly  engrossed  with 
his  studies,  he  almost  discarded  books  and  occupied 
himself  with  the  Manse  garden  and  glebe,  and  to 
attending  the  pony,  etc.  He  also  became  greatly 
interested  in  machinery,  and  instead  of  playing  with 
his  companions,  he  would  on  any  favourable  oppor- 
tunity walk  four  miles  to  the  railway  station  and  four 
back,  on  the  chance  of  getting  a  good  look  at  the 
engine,  as  the  train  stopped  for  a  minute  or  two  on 
its  way  to  Huntly ;  while  his  favourite  haunts  were 
the  village  smithy,  gas  works,  carding  mill,  and  the 
little  shops  of  the  carpenter  and  saddler,  in  which 
places,  owing  to  his  attractive  manners  and  the  vast 
store  of  fun  in  him,  he  was  extremely  popular.  To 
the  parents  this  was  a  great  disappointment,  as  they 
had  destined  him  for  the  ministry ;  but  as  the  old 
German  hymn  says,  "  Was  Gott  thut,  das  ist  wohlge- 
than  ! "  and  all  this  was  a  necessary  thread  in  the 
texture  of  preparation  for  the  work  which  he  had  yet 
to  do.  At  the  end  of  two  years,  however,  he  volun- 
tarily returned  to  books,  and  began  again  to  devour 
all  kinds  of  literature,  and  to  make  great  progress  in 
the  classics  and  mathematics ;  but  as  his  father's 
ministerial  duties  allowed  little  leisure  to  superin- 
tend his  studies,  he  was  sent  in  1864  to  the  Gram- 
mar School  at  Aberdeen.  Here  he  worked  well, 
although  his  parents  were  not  a  little  concerned  to 
hear  that  some  friends  who  were  desirous  of  showing 


FIRST  RELIGIOUS  IMPRESSIONS. 


him  attention  on  the  holidays  could  seldom  induce 
him  to  join  their  young  people  in  little  excursions 
into  the  country,  as  he  was  invariably  either  getting 
initiated  in  the  art  of  photography  in  Gordon's  photo- 
graphic saloon,  or  busily  engaged  in  watching  the 
workmen  in  one  of  the  large  shipbuilding  yards  to 
which  he  had  contrived  to  gain  admission.  Little  did 
any  one  think  then  how  the  observations  he  made  in 
that  yard,  Saturday  after  Saturday,  would  one  day 
help  to  further  the  Master's  Kingdom  on  the  shores 
of  the  Victoria  Nyanza  ! 

In  the  early  summer  of  1865,  the  boy  sustained  a 
great  loss  in  the  death  of  his  dear  mother  ;  and  as 
"knowledge  by  suffering  entereth,"  he  felt  then  for 
the  first  time  the  influences  of  Divine  love  warming 
his  heart.  In  connection  with  this  event,  a  godly 
relative,  who  proved  herself  a  ministering  angel  to  the 
stricken  family,  writes :  "  Twenty-five  years  have 
come  and  gone,  and  much  has  transpired  in  my  life 
since  then;  but  I  shall  never  forget  the  mother's 
earnest  prayers  for  her  boy — more  than  for  any  of  the 
rest  of  the  family.  He  was  the  only  one  absent  from 
home  at  the  time,  and  she  seemed  to  fear  that  his 
abilities  and  attractive  manners  would  become  a 
snare  to  him.  As  she  felt  death  approaching,  she 
charged  me  to  give  him  her  Bagster's  Bible  (her 
husband's  wedding  gift),  and  to  write  on  it  certain 
portions  to  be  especially  studied.  When  he  came  to 
the  funeral,  I  gave  him  the  Bible  and  her  dying 
message — to   'search    the    Scriptures,'   not    to  read 


BOYHOOD. 


only,  but  to  search}  and  then  he  would  meet  her  again 
in  glory  !  I  had  several  opportunities  of  bringing 
before  him  his  mother's  anxiety  about  his  salvation  ; 
but  although  evidently  much  impressed  he  said  little, 
and  as  he  returned  to  Aberdeen  to  school  I  never 
saw  him  again.  But  some  twelve  years  afterwards,  in 
a  letter  I  had  from  him  while  I  was  in  New  Zealand, 
he  remarks,  '  You  have  more  to  do  with  my  coming 
out  to  East  Africa  than  you  know  of.'  "  From  this 
time  forward  the  Bible  became  his  greatest  treasure; 
and  as  he  made  it  his  counsellor,  and  gained  skill  in 
the  study  and  use  of  it,  there  came  to  him,  and 
gradually  grew  upon  him,  a  sense  of  wonder  and 
admiration  at  its  perfect  fitness  for  his  necessities. 

*  "  Many  thanks  for  the  copy  of  the  Revised  Version  of  the 
New  Testament.  It  has  a  most  peculiar  interest  for  me. 
Perhaps  you  do  not  remember  that  when  Bernard  Tauchnitz 
published  in  Leipzig  his  loooth  volume  of  British  authors,  viz., 
the  New  Testament  with  notes  on  the  text  by  Tischendorf,  you 
presented  me  with  a  copy.  I  was  attracted  by  the  various 
readings,  and  partly  from  the  remembrance  of  my  dear  mother's 
dying  message  to  '  search  the  Scriptures,'  and  partly  from  my 
curiosity  to  catch  preachers  in  mistranslated  texts,  I  made 
myself  familiar  with  it.  I  next  got  Alford's  translation.  From 
curiosity  and  criticism  God  led  me  to  see  the  beauty  of  His  own 
Word,  and  appHed  it  to  my  heart.  I  would  never  be  without 
my  Alford  ever  since,  and  my  first  copy  fell  to  pieces  in  my 
hands  through  constant  perusal.  Here  I  got  another,  and  that 
has  served  me  until  now,  when  through  your  kindness  the 
Revised  Version  has  reached  me,  and  I  anticipate  much  plea- 
sure in  examining  it  in  every  verse  and  line.  It  will  also  be  of 
great  service  to  me  in  the  translation  into  Luganda." — Letter  to 
his  father,  March  i^th,  1882. 


LIFE  IN  EDINBURGH   AND  BERLIN, 


This  day  last  year  Livingstone  died — a  Scotchman  and  a 
Christian,  loving  God  and  his  neighbour,  in  the  heart  of  Africa. 
'  Go  thou  and  do  likewise.' " — Mackafs  diary,  Berlin,  May 
6,th,  1874. 

"My  heart  burns  for  the  deliverance  of  Africa,  and  if  you  can 
send  me  to  any  one  of  those  regions  which  Livingstone  and 
Stanley  have  found  to  be  groaning  under  the  curse  of  the 
slave-hunter,  I  shall  be  very  glad." — A.  M.  Mackay,  in  letter  to 
C.M.S.,  Dec.  i2th,  1875. 


CHAPTER   II. 

LIFE  IN  EDINBURGH  AND  BERLIN. 

T  N  the  autumn  of  1867,  the  family  removed  to 
-^  Edinburgh,  and  Mackay  entered  the  Free  Church 
Training  College  for  Teachers.  In  the  admission 
examination,  he  gained  one  of  the  higher  bur- 
saries; indeed,  of  those  who  had  not  been  pupil 
teachers,  and  thus  specially  prepared  for  the  ex- 
amination, he  was  the  highest  in  Scotland  of  Free 
Church  candidates.^  All  through  his  course  he  proved 

'  The  Rev.  James  Primrose,  of  Broxburn,  a  fellow-student, 
writes  : — 

"  Mackay  was  one  of  my  class-fellows  ;  and  though  it  is 
twenty  years  since  then,  I  have  a  distinct  impression  of  him. 
His  manner  was  quiet  and  retiring,  and  he  did  not  make  many 
companions,  yet  those  who  were  privileged  to  know  him  inti- 
mately found  him  to  be  widely  read,  and  with  acquirements  far 
beyond  the  average  of  students  attending  our  Training  Colleges. 

"  Many  a  time  we  had  talks  together  as  we  paced  the  College 
grounds. 

"  He  seemed  in  those  days  to  be  resolute  in  purpose,  deter- 
mined to  do  the  work  thoroughly  that  lay  to  his  hand,  and  of 
steady,  persevering  habits  sufficient  to  overcome  any  difficulties. 

"  There  was  no  fuss  or  ostentation  about  him,  but  a  quiet, 
durable  enthusiasm,  characteristics  that  have  shone  out  bril- 
liantly in  his  later  years,  and  rendered  him  worthy  of  the  title 
'The  Hero  of  Uganda.'" 


12  LIFE  IN  EDINBURGH  AND  BERLIN. 

himself  not  only  one  of  the  most  faithful  and  devoted 
students,  but  also  one  of  the  very  ablest.  The 
diploma  awarded  at  the  close  of  the  two  years'  cur- 
riculum shows  that  he  had  gained  at  least  ninety  per 
cent,  of  the  marks  in  the  written  examination — the 
subjects  being  Bible,  Geography,  History,  Arithmetic, 
Algebra,  Geometry,  Latin,  Greek,  School  manage- 
ment, skill  in  teaching,  and  theory  of  Music. 
Drawing  was  ever  a  strong  point  with  him,  and  in  no 
fewer  than  four  different  subjects  (Freehand  Drawing, 
Practical  Geometry,  Perspective,  and  Model  Drawing) 
he  received  a  prize  from  the  Kensington  Department. 

Mackay  frequently  spoke  afterwards  of  the  great 
benefit  he  received  at  this  institution,  and  of  his 
unqualified  admiration  of  the  rector.  Dr.  Maurice 
Paterson,^  of  whom  he  was  wont  to  say,  "  I  owe  him 
much — more  than  much"  (see  page  io6). 

But  as  he  was  still  bent  on  prosecuting  engineering, 
his  father  did  all  in  his  power  to  further  his  views  in 
that  direction.  Accordingly  he  studied  Classics,  Ap- 
plied Mechanics  and  Engineering,  Higher  Mathema- 
tics, and  Natural  Philosophy, at  the  Edinburgh  Univer- 
sity for  three  years;  Surveying  and  Fortification  with 


'  "We  need  nothing  more  pressing  in  the  Christian  Church  at 
present,  than  men  who  will  thus  guide  the  young  and  the  will- 
ing to  their  work,  showing  what  needs  to  be  done,  and  adapting 
talent  to  task.  By  taking  up  this  function  of  the  teacher,  many 
a  man  might  bring  into  the  service  of  Christ  tiiose  whose  con- 
tributions would  far  surpass  his  own,  as  Barnabas  did,  when  he 
brought  into  the  Church  the  services  of  Paul." — Imago  Christi. 


GAINING  PRACTICAL  SKILL.  13 

Lieut.  Mackie,  Professor  of  Engineering,  for  one  year; 
while  for  two  years  (1870-72),  besides  being  Secretary 
of  the  Engineering  Society,  and  teaching  for  three 
hours  each  morning  at  George  Watson's  College, 
he  took  the  tram-car  down  to  Leith,  and  spent 
the  afternoon  at  the  engineering  works  of  Messrs. 
Miller  &  Herbert,  dressed  in  a  blue  smock,  and 
busily  engaged  model-making,  fitting,  turning,  and 
erecting  machinery,  while  his  evenings  were  em- 
ployed in  attending  lectures  on  Chemistry,  Geology, 
etc.,  at  the  School  of  Arts,  and  other  places.^  And 
yet,  with  all  this  labour  through  the  week,  Sunday 
was  ever  regarded  as  a  day  for  holy  activity.  Spiri- 
tually refreshed  by  the  sainted  Horatius  Bonar  in  the 
morning,  the  afternoon  was  generally  spent  in  con- 
ducting services  in  children's  churches  or  in  mission 
halls ;  while  in  the  evening  no  teacher  was  more 
devoted  or  more  regular  in  attendance  at  the  Sunday 
School,  in  connection  with  Dr.  Guthrie's  Original 
Ragged  School,  ably  superintended  by  Robert  Simp- 
son, Esq.,  W.S.  Here  he  formed  the  acquaintance 
of  another  teacher.  Dr.  John  Smith,  which  soon 
ripened  into  a  close  and   lasting  friendship.      Both 

*  "  I  am  so  far  from  thinking  that  my  education  has  been 
wasted  in  coming  here,  that  I  only  wish  I  had  got  double  the 
amount  of  education,  not  only  in  the  way  of  book  learning,  but 
also  in  practical  skill.  This  is  a  field  which  offers  scope  for  the 
highest  energies.  No  man  can  know  enough,  and  be  able  to 
turn  his  hand  to  too  many  things,  to  be  a  useful  missionary 
in  Central  Ainca.."—i\fackay,  lettc*"  to  his  father,  Uganda,  \ith 
Nov.,  1882. 


14  LIFE  IX  EDINBURGH  AND  BERLIN. 

went  out  in  the  C.M.S.  pioneer  expedition  to  Central 
Africa,  both  their  careers  were  unexpectedly  brought 
to  a  close,  and  now  God  has  laid  both  to  sleep  by 
the  waters  of  the  Nyanza  ! 

On  the  I  St  of  November,  1873,  he  set  out  for 
Germany,  in  order  to  acquire  its  language  more 
thoroughly,  that  being  the  first  step  to  becoming 
acquainted  with  the  stores  of  lore  which  that  land 
contains.  He  speedily  secured  a  good  position 
as  coustriictair,  or  draughtsman,  in  the  "  Berliner 
Union  Actien-Gesellschaft  fUr  Eisengiesserei  und 
Locomobile  Fabrikation,"  in  Moabit,  a  west-end  sub- 
urb of  Berlin.  He  was  chiefly  occupied  in  preparing 
drawings  and  designs  of  machinery  of  all  kinds, 
especially  locomotives  and  portable  steam  engines. 
This  work  he  greatly  enjoyed  ;  but  it  required  much 
skill,  and  much  previous  knowledge  and  study.  His 
hours  were  from  9  a.m.  to  5  p.m.,  with  half  an 
hour  interval,  while  his  evenings  were  employed  in 
translating  Liibsen's  "Differential  and  Integral  Cal- 
culus," one  of  the  best  books  on  the  subject  in 
German,  and  in  inventing  an  agricultural  machine, 
which  obtained  the  first  prize  at  the  Exhibition  of 
Steam-machines  held  at  Breslau.  The  engineering 
works  were  on  a  large  scale,  employing  one  thousand 
workmen,  and  six  constrnctcurs  besides  himself,  no 
two  of  whom  belonged  to  the  same  nationality,  one 
being  an  Austrian,  one  a  Pole,  one  a  Swiss,  one 
from  Saxony,  one  from  Schleswig-Holstein,  one  an 
Italian,  he  himself  from  Scotland,  and  the  directors 


TRIALS  OF  FAITH.  15 

sons  of  Abraham.     With  regard  to  his  companions 
in  the  drawing  office,  he  writes  : — 

"  Here  I  am  amongst  a  heathenish  people ;  almost 
all  are  infidels,  but  agree  in  so  far  acknowledging  the 
existence  of  God  as  to  continually  use  the  expression 
•  Ach  Gott ! '  often  more  than  once  in  the  same 
sentence.  For  some  days  past  I  have  had  to  contend 
very  hard  for  the  bare  existence  of  God  with  my 
companion  draughtsmen.  The  only  one  who  sym- 
pathises with  me  is  the  gentleman  at  the  next  table, 
and  he  is  a  Roman  Catholic." 

Referring  to  this  subject  later  on,  he  writes  :— 

"  My  companions  in  the  office  having  failed  to 
show  me  the  foolishness  of  believing,  in  order  to  add 
force  to  their  sneers  at  religion,  continually  blaspheme 
the  name  of  God  in  dreadful  terms.  It  is  enough  to 
make  one  shudder  to  hear  them.  On  this  account,  I 
am  obliged  to  have  as  little  conversation  with  them 
as  possible,  and  hence  cannot  have  the  advantage  of 
German  conversation  as  I  would  like." 

In  his  diary,  on  January  Zih,  1874,  is  the  entry  : — 

"  Bonar's  notes  on  '  I  am  the  Light  of  the  World,' 
much  blessed  to  me.^ 

"  Am  I  a  light  ?  I  am  asleep  in  carnality ;  I  am  an 
unfaithful  steward  ;  I  lose  far  more  opportunities  of 

1  His  sister,  now  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  Frank  Russell,  of  Hull, 
sent  him,  weekly,  notes  of  Dr.  H.  Bonar's  sermons,  all  the  time 
he  resided  in  Berlin. 


l6  LIFE  IN  EDINBURGH  AND  BERLIN. 

doing  good  than  I  use.  Lord,  forgive  me !  Oh  !  for 
much  prudence  and  tact  in  introducing  the  subject 
of  reHgion  in  a  way  that  my  companions  will  not 
take  it  amiss !  As  McCheyne  says  :  '  Some  believers 
are  a  garden  that  has  fruit  trees,  and  so  are  useful ; 
but  we  also  ought  to  have  spices,  and  so  be  attrac- 
tive.'" 

Again,  April  i^th,  1874  : — 

"  Hitherto  I  have  been  alone  in  lodgings,  but  it  is 
extremely  wonderful  how  in  the  greatest  desert  God 
always  provides  an  oasis — an  Elim  for  His  people. 
Since  I  came  to  Berlin  I  have  been  enabled  to  study 
much  of  the  Word  of  God,  and  to  find  something  of 
the  inexhaustible  mine  of  pure  gold  it  contains.  If  I 
had  been  at  home,  surrounded  by  so  many  sacred 
influences,  the  probability  is  I  might  not  have  made 
so  much  progress.  One  thing  above  everything,  I 
must  make  my  Christianity  a  practical  thing.  '  It  is 
more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive.'  I  am  therefore 
bound  to  obey  this  commandment.  If  I  have 
received,  I  must  strive  continually  to  lead  others  to 
come  and  receive  likewise  from  the  great  Giver." 

God,  however,  prospered  him  in  his  profession;  and 
his  directors,  recognising  his  ability  for  constructing 
machinery,  removed  him  from  the  drawing  office,  and 
made  him  chef  of  the  locomotive  department,  where 
he  found  amongst  the  workmen  a  very  large  sphere 
of  usefulness.  Soon  after  he  arrived  in  Berlin,  he 
became  acquainted  with  Herr  Hofprediger  Baur,  one 


A    CULTURED  AND  PIOUS  HOME.  17 

of  the  ministers  of  the  Do7n,  or  cathedral,  and  one  of 
H.M.  chaplains.  This  clergyman  took  a  great  fancy 
to  the  young  Scotchman,  and  invited  him  to  come  to 
his  house  on  Friday  evenings,  when  he  gave  about  a 
dozen  theological  students  a  course  of  private  lectures 
on  Anglo-Saxon  literature,  which  was  followed  by 
supper  and  music,  after  which  ancient  German 
hymns  were  sung,  Herr  Baur  leading  with  a  glorious 
voice,  while  the  students  sang  in  parts,  making  the 
effect  very  fine. 

In  May,  1874,  he  went  to  board  in  the  family  of 
Herr  Hofprediger  Baur,  as  he  had  already  become 
to  him,  and  to  the  Frau  Hofprediger,  their  "  lieber 
Sohn  MackayT  He  considered  that  his  residence  in 
this  cultured  and  pious  home  was  a  great  advantage 
to  him,  not  only  for  acquiring  the  language  better 
than  he  could  by  living  alone  in  lodgings,  but  because 
here  he  met,  once  a  week,  at  the  Bible  readings, 
the  dite  of  the  Christian  society  of  Berlin,  the  most 
distinguished  being,  perhaps,  Grafin  von  Arnim,  sis- 
ter of  Prince  Bismarck  ;  Grafin  Hacke ;  also  Graf 
and  Grafin  von  Egloffstein.  The  latter  took  a  great 
interest  in  him,  and  was  amongst  his  most  regular 
correspondents  during  the  whole  of  his  African 
career.^ 

*  The  Countess  von  Egloffstein  writes  regarding  this  time  : — 
"  On  hearing  the  most  unexpected  and  sad  news  of  your 
noble  brother's  death,  I  recall  the  time  when  we  made  his  ac- 
quaintance in  Berlin  in  the  house  of  Hofprediger  Baur,  where 
we  met  with  dear  friends  for  Bible  reading.      It  was  in  this  way 
A.  M.  M.  2 


i8  LIFE   IN  EDINBURGH  AND  BERLIN. 


At  the  Bible  Class  held  on  Sunday  evenings  in 
connection  with  one  of  the  churches,  Mackay  found 
a  congenial  friend  in  the  president,  the  late  Rev,  G. 
P.  Davies,  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society's 
agent  in  the  city,  who  frequently  drew  him  out  to 
lead  the  discussion  on  the  passage,  while  all  present 
took  part,  in  a  more  or  less  active  way,  in  asking 
questions,  suggesting  ideas,  explaining  difficulties, 
etc. ;  while  many  of  the  Americans,  chiefly  students 
of  divinity  or  medicine  at  the  University,  who  had 
travelled  in  the  Holy  Land  and  elsewhere,  could  often 
bring  to  the  point  exceedingly  interesting  information 
from  their  own  observation.  Mr.  Davies  also  inter- 
that  we  learned  to  appreciate  your  brother's  knowledge  of  the 
Word  of  God,  and  the  warm  interest  with  which  he  tried  to 
enter  more  and  more  into  the  wisdom  which  God  has  given  to 
those  that  fear  Him  and  love  Him.  He  was  such  a  thorough 
Christian,  perfectly  given  to  follow  his  Master,  and  he  made  us 
think  of  Miss  Havergal's  words — 

'  Take  m)'-  life,  and  let  it  be 
Consecrated,  Lord,  to  Thee ;  * 

and  when  he  told  us  that  he  wished  to  combine  missionary 
work  with  that  of  an  engineer,  and  to  serve  his  Master  in  the 
Dark  Continent,  we  were  not  surprised.  It  seemed  so  natural 
that  this  young,  serious,  and  faithful  Scotchman  should  give 
himself  wholly  to  work  in  the  Master's  vineyard.  Life  was  to 
him  a  gift  used  for  Jesus  ! 

"  I  believe,  also,  that  the  other  friends  in  the  circle  formed 
the  same  impression  of  his  willingness  to  surrender  himself 
to  God's  service.  To  the  question:  'Who  then  is  willing  to 
consecrate  his  service  this  day  unto  the  Lord?'  he  answered 
steadfastly  and  humbly  :  '  Here  am  1  ;  send  me,'  and  added  : 
*  All  that  Thou  commandest  me,  I  will  do  ;  and  whithersoever 


KINDRED  SPIRIT^.  19 


ested  Mackay  in  his  wife's  mission  to  cabmen,  and  two 
or  three  hours  were  spent  every  Sunday  morning 
delivering  to  them  tracts  and  portions  of  Scripture  in 
their  own  tongue.  When  Mackay  went  to  reside  at 
the  house  of  Herr  Hofprediger  Baur,  he  found  him 
actively  engaged  on  a  German  translation  of  the  Life 
of  Bishop  Patteson,  with  whose  family  he  was  on 
intimate  terms.  To  find  a  kindred  missionary  spirit 
in  this  home  was  a  great  joy  to  the  young  Scotch- 
manias  the  following  letters  will  show  how,  in  a  very 
quiet  but  remarkable  way,  the  call  to  the  mission 
field  had  come  to  himself  within  six  weeks  after  he 
left  his  native  land  for  Germany. 

Thou  sendest  me,  I  will  go;'  and  he  could  thus  offer  himself, 
understanding  the  words  of  St.  Paul :  '  Christ  died  for  all,  that 
they  which  live  should  not  henceforth  live  unto  themselves,  but 
unto  Him  which  died  for  them  and  rose  again.' 

"Your  dear  brother  has  indeed  fought  the  good  fight,  and  his 
warfare  is  now  accomplished.  We  never  forgot  him  in  our 
family  ;  and  the  link  uniting  us,  as  children  of  God,  found  ex- 
pression in  letters  which  were  frequently  exchanged  between  the 
Nyanza  and  Germany,  and  in  prayers  for  the  brave,  noble,  and 
severely  tried  hero  in  Africa,  who  was  so  often  alone  in  danger 
and  in  grief.  But  he  counted  all  things  for  loss,  for  the  ex- 
cellency of  Christ  Jesus,  his  Lord,  and  under  His  wings  he  was 
safe,  and  never  alone,  for  his  Saviour  was  with  him. 

"  '  In  full  and  glad  surrender 
He  gave  himself  to  Thee; 
Thine  utterly,  and  only, 
And  evermore  to  be  ! ' 

"May  you,  his  beloved  family,  be  comforted  by  the  thought 
of  his  great  and  blessed  satisfaction — the  reward  of  heavenly 
bliss  which  he  now  enjoys." — L.  Grdfin  von  Egloffstein. 


20  LIFE  IN  EDINBURGH  AND  BERLIN. 

To  HIS  Sister  : — 

"Berlin,  ird Aug.,  1874. 

"  Well,  it  is  through  you,  or  what  you  wrote  me  on 
nth  Dec.  last,  that  what  I  now  have  to  write  you 
exists. 

'^  You  told  me  then  that  you  had  been  at  a  social 
meeting  of  our  Literary  Association  in  Chalmers 
Memorial  Church  ;  that  there  you  heard  Dr.  Burns 
Thomson  give  an  interesting  account  of  Madagascar. 
Dr.  B.  Th.  also  urged  the  young  men  of  the  Associa- 
tion to  give  themselves  to  the  work  and  go  out  as 
medical  missionaries  there.  Well,  I  am  not  a  doctor, 
and  therefore  cannot  go  as  such  ;  but  I  am  an  engineer, 
and  propose,  if  the  Lord  will,  to  go  as  an  engineering 
missionary.  Miserable  chimera !  you  will  no  doubt 
call  such  an  idea.  Yet  immediately  on  the  receipt  of 
your  letter  I  wrote  Dr.  Bonar,  offering  myself  to  such 
work,  and  asking  his  advice.  He  wrote  me  that  he 
thought  the  ideas  difficult  to  combine — mission  work 
with  engineering, — but  that  he  would  be  glad  to  make 
inquiries  for  me  as  to  how  I  might  get  an  opening 
there  in  such  a  capacity.  Now,  my  dear  sister,  I 
know  the  plan  is  entirely  new,  and  will  be  difficult  to 
work.  Of  course  I  am  as  yet  far  from  prepared  to 
undertake  such  a  task,  especially  alone  ;  and  of  course 
many  obstacles  stand  in  the  way.  You  will  ask  me 
how  am  I  to  get  there.  I  am  not  careful  as  to  that, 
for  I  have  one  word  against  such  a  problem,  viz. 
'Jehovah  Jireh.'     You  will  ask  what  am  I  to  do  when 


CHRISTIANITY  AND    CIVILIZATION.  21 

I  get  there.  Well,  I  hope  especially  to  connect 
Christianity  with  modern  civilization.  In  England  it 
is  true  that  as  Christianity  made  progress,  so  civiliza- 
tion advanced ;  and  as  civilization  advanced,  Christi- 
anity became  more  deeply  rooted,  and  shines  now  as 
the  light  of  an  enlightened  people.  You  will  the 
more  readily  agree  with  me  that  the  two  should  go 
together,  if  you  read  how  Mohammedanism  makes 
such  tremendous  progress  in  Africa  chiefly  because 
it  carries  with  it  a  higher  civilization  than  that  which 
existed  in  the  countries  to  which  it  comes.  My 
chief  energies  I  hope  to  be  able  to  spend  in  estab-  • 
lishing  a  college  to  train  the  young  men  in  Religion 
and  Science  together.  Of  course,  I  expect  to  execute 
public  works,  as  railways,  mines,  etc.,  which,  for  one 
single-handed,  is  an  enormous  enterprise.  It  is  more 
to  help  the  missionaries  that  are  there  already  that  I 
go,  than  to  supplant  them  ;  also  to  prepare  the  way 
by  which  others  more  readily  can  go  there  and  stay. 
The  undertaking  is  very  great ;  give  me  your  advice. 
For  the  last  few  months  I  have  been  studying 
Malagasy,  and  find  it  a  beautiful  language,  as  you 
have  told  me.  Rev.  Mr.  Davies,  to  whom  I  have 
spoken  of  my  intention,  is  delighted  with  the  scheme, 
so  is  Hofprediger  Baur  and  other  friends.  If  spared, 
I  should  hope  to  go  after  two  or  three  years,  at  least, 
— perhaps  much  sooner.  Advise  me  as  to  this.  I 
have  much  to  learn  before  I  go. 

"  Do  not  think  me  mad.     It  is  not  to  make  money 
that  I  believe  a  Christian  should  live.     It  will  indeed 


aa  LIFE  IN  EDINBURGH  AND  BERLIN. 

be  a  trial  of  all  trials  to  part  with  you  all  to  go  to 
such  a  country,  where  so  many  (2,000)  Christians 
were  not  very  long  ago  put  to  death.  Such  persecu- 
tions I  do  not  expect  will  occur  again.  At  any  rate, 
Christianity  should  teach  men,  of  course,  how  to  be 
saved  for  eternity,  but  also  how  to  live  comfortably 
and  healthily  together.  As  Rabbi  Duncan  so  beauti- 
fully and  so  profoundly  says,  '  First  of  all,  it  is  our 
duty  not  to  have  any  sin.  .  .  .  My  first  concern 
is  to  get  quit  of  sin,  or  to  know  how  God  has  provided 
for  my  extrication.  .  .  .  The  withdrawal  of  my 
disability  and  the  removal  of  sin's  stain  must  precede 
the  free  use  of  my  nature  for  the  glory  of  God.  And 
if  these  are  effected,  what  remains  but  that  I,  a  being 
made  in  God's  image,  have  to  love  Him  and  my  fel- 
low-creatures ?  Is  not  that  the  sum  of  it  ?  .  .  .  Christ 
said,  "  It  is  more  blessed  to  give  than  to  receive." 
And  the  noblest  thing  a  man  can  do  is,  just  humbly 
to  receive,  and  then  go  amongst  others  and  give. 
.  .  .  Many  a  better  man  than  I  has  gone  to  heathen 
countries  before  now  ;  why  should  not  I  go  too  ? " 

To  HIS  Father  :— 

"Berlin,  27th  Oct.,  1874. 
"  I  thank  God  and  thank  you  that  you  have 
written  me  as  you  have  done.  When  you  consent, 
I  feel  doubly  sure  that  God  consents.  Your  earnest 
exhortation  to  me  to  ask  wisdom  and  guidance  from 
above  I  endeavour  to  follow.  Man  is  a  volent  being, 
by  virtue  of  what  God  has  made  him.     Yet  man  is 


TERRIBLY  IN  EARNEST.  23 

inwardly  swayed  by  external  circumstances.  Now  if 
to  my  ears  or  hands  there  comes  the  message,  '  Who 
will  go  to  preach  the  Gospel  in  Madagascar  ? '  how 
can  I,  except  in  unbelief,  say  otherwise  than  that  God 
caused  that  message  to  come  to  me  ?  And  if  it  is 
of  God,  must  I  not  say,  '  Here  am  I;  send  me'?  It  is 
now  nearly  a  year  since  then,  and  having  put  my 
hand  to  the  plough,  I  dare  not  look  back.  You  will, 
I  feel  sure,  agree  with  me  in  this,  as  you  have  always 
taught  me  to  recognise  the  guidance  of  God  in  small 
matters  as  well  as  in  great.  Dr.  Bonar  always  taught 
me  the  same  also.  The  Word  of  God  says  so  too. 
Are  not  these  three  witnesses  .-*  The  thing  is  there- 
fore clear  enough.  Well  I  know  that  if  God  does  not 
take  me  to  Madagascar,  I  shall  never  get  there  ;  and 
if  He  does  not  bless  me,  my  mission  had  better  not 
be  undertaken  at  all.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  I  be- 
lieve I  got  that  message  just  because  God  meant  me 
to  receive  it,  and  His  blessing  He  will  give  in  answer 
to  the  prayer  of  faith. 

"  I  know  there  is  a  mighty  work  here  to  do,  and  few 
to  do  it.  In  fact,  missionaries  can  nowhere  be  more 
necessary  than  here.  But  I  cannot,  having  once  been 
led  to  set  my  face  to  Madagascar,  turn  to  other  work 
instead.  But  this  will  I  do,  if  the  Lord  enable  me : 
I  will  be  more  *  terribly  in  earnest '  in  working  where 
I  am,  knowing  that  I  must  soon  go  elsewhere.  Per- 
haps God  means  my  combating  here  with  infidelity 
to  be  a  training  school  for  preparing  me  to  combat 
with  a  not    more  powerful  fiend — idolatry.      Still,   I 


24  LIFE  IN  EDINBURGH  AND  BERLIN. 

find  the  infidelity  here  only  another  name  for  in- 
dift'erence — and  that  exists  in  England  under  the 
name  of  nominal  Christianity.  It  is  the  same  old 
face,  only  a  less  deceptive  name.  Yet  seed  must  be 
sown  here,  for  there  is  much  ground  here;  and  although 
much  falls  on  the  wayside,  much  among  thorns,  and 
much  on  stony  ground,  yet  we  have  the  Master's  own 
assurance  that  some — if  not  much — seed  falls  on  good 
ground,  the  result  being  very  great.  That  parable 
alone  is  enough  to  stir  up  the  whole  Church  of  Christ- 
ians on  earth  to  sow  on  all  soils,  if  we  would  only 
believe  it 

"  I  put  off  replying  to  your  letter  sooner,  as  I 
expected  to  hear  from  Dr.  B.  Thomson.  As  yet, 
however,  I  have  not  heard  from  him.  I  must  not, 
however,  be  in  any  haste  in  the  matter.  '  He  that 
believeth  shall  not  make  haste.'  Of  course  if  the 
L.M.S.  will  send  me,  I  must  go  when  they  will  ;  but 
otherwise  I  am  in  no  hurry  to  go.  I  should  like,  if 
the  Lord  will,  to  wait  at  least  a  year  yet.  Still,  I 
must  in  this  matter  follow  without  hesitation  God's 
will  and  the  will  of  His  servants." 

Dr.  Mullens,  secretary  of  the  L.M.S.,  having  heard 
of  Mackay's  desire  to  go  to  Madagascar,  wrote  him  a 
very  kind  letter,  saying  "  that  at  that  time  the  island 
was  not  ripe  for  his  assistance,  but  was  rapidly 
making  way  in  that  direction,  and  might,  in  due 
time,  need  such  help  as  he  could  give."  Mackay, 
nothing    daunted,    plodded  on,    studying  the  Mala- 


CHRISTIANITY   WORTH  EVERYTHING.  2$ 

gasy  language  in  his  leisure  hours,  and  in  November, 
1874,  writes  to  his  father  : — "  How  much  a  missionary- 
must  know,  and  how  little  I  know  !  Would  God  I 
were  ready  and  in  the  field  !  But  what  a  field  is  this 
here  !  A  community  like  Berlin  sunk  in  licentious- 
ness of  every  form  is  difficult  to  deal  with.  If  ever, 
or  anywhere,  heathens  are  to  be  found,  it  is  surely 
here.  'By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them.'  Their 
fruits  are  drunkenness  and  debauchery.  How  I  feel 
for  them,  poor  fellows  !  Oh  for  a  little  of  the  power 
of  the  Spirit  such  as  has  of  late  been  manifested  in 
Scotland  !  Nothing  but  the  Spirit  of  God  can  open 
the  heart.  I  thank  God  that  He  has  of  late  wakened 
me  up,  to  some  extent,  to  feel  that  'if  Christianity  is 
worth  anything,  it  is  worth  everything.  If  it  calls  for 
any  measure  of  zeal  and  warmth,  it  will  justify  the 
utmost  degrees  of  these,  and  that  there  is  no  con- 
sistent medium  between  reckless  atheism  and  the 
intensest  warmth  of  religious  zeal.'  Yet  I  know  that 
it  is  only  in  so  far  as  I  attain  to  a  high  spiritual  life 
by  close  fellowship  with  my  risen  Saviour  that  I  can 
be  in  any  way  fit  for  winning  souls.  Neither  learning, 
nor  zeal,  nor  power  of  argument  will  accomplish 
anything  without  the  Spirit.  God  fill  us  with  His 
Spirit.  That  must  be  our  prayer — a  prayer  that  will 
have  an  answer." 

In  his  diary  about  this  date  are  the  entries  : — 

Oct.  I2>^h,  1874. — Twenty-five  years    old    this  day 
"Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul  ! "  for  all  His  goodness." 


26  LIFE  IN  EDINBURGH  AND  BERLIN. 

"  Man  is  immortal  till  his  work  is  done."  Use  me 
in  Thy  service  alone,  Blessed  Saviour.  "  Das  Evan- 
gelium  muss  zuvor  gepredigt  werden  unter  alien 
Volkern." 

Oct.  \^tk. — "  Self-examination. — Why  is  a  mission- 
ary's life  so  often  an  object  of  my  thoughts  .?  Is  it 
simply  for  the  love  I  bear  to  souls  ?  Then  why  do  I 
not  show  it  more  where  I  am?"  (McCheyne).  Lord, 
open  my  mouth  where  I  am  ! 

Oct.  \^th. — This  evening  the  new  Hofprediger 
Stocker  at  supper  here.  Seems  an  earnest,  God-fear- 
ing man.  Herr  Hofp.  Baur  and  he  took  counsel 
together  to  commence  in  earnest,  by  God's  grace,  the 
evangelization  of  Berlin,  especially  among  the  social 
democrats.  Both  see  the  need  of  laymen  to  help. 
May  they  take  counsel  of  God,  and  the  hand  of  the 
Lord  be  mighty  upon  them  to  save  ! 

Oct.  24///. — Is  it  really  the  case  that  I  believe  I  can 
serve  the  Master  more  effectively  by  going  to  Mada- 
gascar than  by  remaining  in  Germany,  or  than  by 
returning  to  my  native  land  ?  How  my  Father 
searches  my  heart !  Lord  Jesus,  guide  me  by  Thy 
Spirit. 

In  April,  1875,  the  Secretaries  of  the  C.M.S.  issued  an 
appeal  for  a  lay  superintendent  to  take  the  secular  oversight  of  a 
settlement  for  liberated  slaves  near  Mombasa,  stating  that  "  he 
should  be  alhorouglily  practical  man,  capable  of  superintending 
the  erection  of  buildings,  the  making  of  roads,  etc.,  and  of 
directing  the  affairs  of  the  settlement.  .  .  .  Above  all,  he 
must  be  a  devoted  Christian,  with  his  heart  in  the  main  object 
of  the  mission — the  furtherance  of  the  Gospel-  .  .  .  Is 
there  no  retired  officer  (not  too  old),  or  civil  engineer.,  or  master- 


DECLINES  A    TEMPTING   OFFER.  27 

builder,  or  gentleman  farmer,  or  other  qualified  person,  pre- 
pared to  give  himself  to  this  holy  enterprise,  and  to  help  in 
laying  the  foundation  for  the  evangelization  of  the  tribes  of 
East  Africa  ? 

Mackay  having  seen  this  appeal,  writes  home  : — 
"  Remembering  that  Duff  first  thought  of  Africa  as  a 
mission-field,  but  was  sent  to  India,  and  that  Living- 
stone originally  intended  to  evangelize  China,  but  the 
Lord  willed  he  should  spend  his  life  in  Africa,  so 
perhaps  the  Lord  means  me,  after  all,  to  turn  my 
attention  to  the  Dark  Continent ;  accordingly  I  have 
offered  my  services  to  the  C.M.S., — the  greatest 
missionary  society  in  the  world — for  Mombasa."  The 
C.M.S.,  however,  had  '  already  accepted  a  man  for 
the  post  in  question,'  but  said  'that  if  they  should 
require  any  one  for  a  similar  position,  they  would  be 
glad  to  communicate  with  him.' 

In  September,  1875,  the  engineering  company  in 
Moabit  dissolved,  and  the  chief  director  (a  rich 
Jew)  made  Mackay  a  highly  advantageous  offer 
of  partnership  in  similar  works  at  Moscow  ;  but  his 
one  desire  being  to  bring  his  secular  and  spiritual 
capabilities  into  direct  service  in  the  Master's  king- 
dom, he  declined  the  tempting  offer,  and,  waiting  on 
the  Lord  for  guidance,  accepted  an  engagement  as 
first  constriicteur  in  the  Niederlansitzer  Maschinenbau 
Actien  Gesellschaft  und  Eisengiesserei  at  Kottbus, 
sixty  miles  south-east  of  Berlin.  Here  he  found  much 
opportunity  for  Christian  work,  and  much  of  his 
spare  time  was  employed  in  sending  to  all  the  clergy 


28  LIFE  IN  EDINBURGH  AND  BERLIN. 

in  Germany,  Bonar's  little  book,  "  Wortean  Seelsorger" 
("  Words  to  Soul  Winners"),  which  had  been  greatly 
blessed  to  himself.  He  also,  with  the  author's  per- 
mission, and  at  his  own  expense,  arranged  for  the 
translation  of  "  Grace  and  Truth  "  ^  into  the  German 
tongue,  with  the  intention  of  distributing  it  in  like 
manner;  but  before  it  was  published,  Stanley's  famous 
letter,  describing  his  visit  to  Mtesa,  and  challenging 
Christendom  to  send  missionaries  to  Uganda,  ap- 
peared in  the  columns  of  the  Daily  Telegraph,  which 
led  to  the  C.M.S.  undertaking  a  mission  to  the 
Victoria  Nyanza,  and  Mackay  was  one  of  the  first 
to  offer  his  services.  Meantime,  Dr.  Duff  having 
heard  of  his  correspondence  with  the  C.M.S.,  wrote 
him  a  long  and  kind  letter,  urging  him  either  to  wait 
for  an  opening  in  the  Free  Church  Mission  to  Lake 
Nyassa,  or  else  to  join  the  Established  Church  of 
Scotland's  Mission  to  the  same  region.  He  concludes 
his  letter  thus  : — 

*'  The  Convener  of  the  Established  Church  of 
Scotland's  Committee  has  told  me  that  they  are 
sending  out  a  little  steamer  to  Lake  Nyassa,  and 
that  they  will  require  a  head  engineer,  etc.  I  know 
they  would  be  thankful  to  accept  your  services, 
in  which  case  you   would   have   full   scope  for  your 

'  It  was  this  book  which  opened  the  eyes  of  Bishop 
Hannington,  and  has  been  blessed  to  multitudes  of  others  ; 
and  Mackay  thought  that  the  plain  and  emphatic  manner  in 
which  it  stated  the  truths  of  the  Gospel  was  wonderfully  suited 
to  the  German  mind. 


ACCEPTED  FOR    UGANDA.  29 

engineering  talents  in  God's  service,  with  as  much 
evangelistic  w^ork  besides  as  you  would  care  to  under- 
take. I  do  not  at  present  see  how  you  can  in  the 
C.M.S.  intended  mission  turn  your  professional  skill 
to  good  account,  or,  indeed,  to  any  account  at  all. 
This  I  would  regard  as  a  calamity,  as  your  profes- 
sional skill  is  a  TALENT,  and  an  important  one,  which 
you  might,  and,  if  possible,  ought  to  turn  to  good 
account  in  our  blessed  Master's  service.  At  least, 
this  is  clearly  my  own  judgment  in  the  matter  ;  and  if 
I  understood  him  aright,  it  is  your  father's  judgment 
also.  If,  after  committing  the  cause  to  God,  you  think 
well  of  this,  send  me  copies  of  your  testimonials,  with 
a  letter  from  yourself,  and  I  will  submit  all,  with  my 
own  recommendation,  to  the  Convener. 
"  May  the  Lord  graciously  guide  you. 

*'  I  remain,  yours  very  sincerely, 

"Alexander  Duff. 

Edinburgh,  Jan.  26th,  1876." 

But  God  over-ruled  it  otherwise,  for  the  same  post 
brought  Mackay  also  the  following  letter  from  Mr. 
Wright,  Hon.  Secretary,  C.M.S  : — 

{Copy.) 
'Church  Missionary  Society, 

"Salisbury  Square,  London,  E.C., 
"Dear  Mr.  Mackay, —  Jan.  26tk,  1876. 

"  The    recommendations  of  the  Central  African 
Sub-Committee  were  brought  before  the  Committee 


so  LIFE  IN  EDINBURGH  AND   BERLIN. 

yesterday,  and  I  have  the  pleasure  in  being  able  to 
inform  you  that  they  very  thankfully  accepted  your 
offer  of  yourself  for  the  Lord's  work  in  connection 
with  their  mission  to  the  Victoria  Nyanza. 

"  They  cannot  but  trust  that  the  matter  is  of  the 
Lord,  and  their  prayer  is  that  He  will  graciously 
accept  this  special  dedication  of  yourself,  and  make 
you  an  honoured  instrument  for  the  advancement  of 
His  kingdom  in  the  heart  of  Africa. 

"  They  did  not  enter  upon  the  question — which 
was  suggested  when  you  were  here — of  your  ordina- 
tion. I  think  they  will  rather  be  disposed  to  send 
you  forth  as  you  are  without  loss  of  time ;  but  this 
will  be  arranged  when  you  come  over. 

"  As  was  mentioned  when  you  were  here,  the 
Committee  would  wish  you  to  treat  your  present 
employers  with  every  consideration  ;  at  the  same 
time  they  would  be  glad  to  have  your  services  at 
their  disposal  at  the  earliest  opportunity,  as  they  are 
anxious  there  should  be  no  unnecessary  delay  in 
carrying  out  their  undertaking.  Let  us  know  how 
soon  we  may  expect  you. 

"  Commending  you  in  all  things  to  the  all-sufficient 

grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  believe  me, 

*'  Very  faithfully  yours, 

"{Signed)  Henry  Wright, 

"  Bon.  Sec,  C.M.S. 
"  Mr.  a.  M.  Mackay." 

He  returned  to  England  early  in  March  ;  and  as  the 


GETTING  JiEADi.  31 


plans  of  the  C.M.S.  became  more  developed,  it  was 
determined  to  combine  the  industrial  with  the  re- 
ligious element.  And  the  Committee  sanctioned  for 
this  end  not  only  a  light  cedar  boat  for  the  navi- 
gation of  the  Wami,  in  the  hope  of  the  expedition 
getting  by  water  to  the  foot  of  the  hills  of  Usagara  ; 
but  they  also  agreed  that  if  an  engine  and  boiler 
could  be  procured  for  ;!f300,  and  be  fitted  into  a 
wooden  boat  to  be  built  by  the  missionaries  on  the 
Victoria  Nyanza,  the  money  would  be  granted.  The 
heavy  carriage  of  such  machinery  presented  a  for- 
midable difficulty,  and  many  weary  days  Mackay 
toiled  through  the  streets  of  London  before  he 
succeeded  in  getting  an  engineer  to  manufacture  a 
boiler  according  to  his  own  design — on  the  principle 
of  welded  rings,  yet  each  light  enough  to  be  carried 
up  country  by  two  men.  Tools  of  all  kinds,  chiefly 
for  working  in  wood  and  iron,  and  much  else,  he  had 
to  purchase.  At  length  he  went  down  to  Edinburgh 
to  see  his  relatives,  and  to  spend  his  last  days  at 
home ;  but  to  their  great  disappointment  they  saw 
little  of  him,  nor  would  he  respond  to  almost  any 
of  the  invitations  of  kind  friends,  all  of  whom  were 
eager  to  receive  him.  There  was  no  such  word  as 
holiday  in  his  vocabulary  ;  his  mission  was  to  him 
a  whole-souled  passion,  and  every  hour  was  turned  to 
practical  account  in  picking  up  useful  arts.  Three 
hours  learning  astronomy  and  the  use  of  the  sextant 
from  one  of  the  officers  at  Leith  Fort,  and  three 
hours  in  the  printing-office  of  Messrs.  Blackwood  & 


32  LIFE  IN  EDINBURGH  AND  BERLIN. 

Sons,  would  fill  up  one  day,  while  the  next  would  be 
spent  at  Mr.  Ross,  the  photographer's,  and  in  the 
Medical  Dispensary,  learning  to  vaccinate  and  to  use 
the  stethoscope,  while  another  would  be  occupied  in 
seeing  through  some  of  the  many  Glasgow  manu- 
factories, or  in  running  down  to  Motherwell,  where 
the  relatives  of  the  distinguished  "Gavin  Ogilvy' 
kindly  showed  him  all  the  details  of  iron-puddling 
and  coal-mining. 

And  he  left — the  youngest  (but  one)  of  the  well- 
equipped   party  of  eight  ^ — but  in  God's  providence 

'  Just  fourteen  years  ago,  on  April  25th,  1876,  the  C.M.S. 
Committee,  at  one  of  their  ordinary  meetings,  quietly  and  un- 
ostentatiously took  leave  of  five  members  of  the  first  missionary 
expedition  to  the  Victoria  Nyanza.  Lieut.  G.  Shergold  Smith 
and  two  artisans  had  already  sailed.  The  party  of  five  com- 
prised the  Rev.  C.  T.  Wilson,  Mr.  T.  O'Neill,  Dr.  John  Smith, 
Mr.  James  Robertson,  and  Mr.  A.  M.  Mackay.  After  Mr. 
Wright,  then  Honorary  Secretary,  had  delivered  the  Instructions, 
the  five  brethren  successively  replied,  in  accordance  with  the 
usual  custom.  We  vividly  remember  one  of  those  five  little 
speeches.  It  was  Alexander  Mackay's.  He  was  the  youngest 
of  the  band,  and  was  called  upon  last.  "There  is  one  thing," 
were  his  words  in  substance,  "  which  my  brethren  have  not  said, 
and  which  I  want  to  say.  I  want  to  remind  the  Committee  that 
within  six  months  they  will  probably  hear  that  one  of  us  is  dead." 
The  words  were  startling,  and  there  was  a  silence  that  might  be 
felt.  Then  he  went  on, — "  Yes  ;  is  it  at  all  likely  that  eight 
Englishmen  should  start  for  Central  Africa  and  all  be  alive  six 
months  after  .?  One  of  us  at  least— it  may  be  I — will  surely  fall 
before  that.  But,"  he  added,  "what  I  want  to  say  is  this  :  when 
that  news  comes,  do  not  be  cast  down,  but  send  some  one  else 
immediately  to  take  the  vacant  place." — Eugene  Stock,  Editorial 
Secretary,  C.M.S, 


ASKS  FOR  PRAYER.  33 

destined,  in  the  short  space  of  three  years,  to  be 
the  only  representative  in  Africa  of  that  original 
band. 

On  April  27th,  his  last  letter  home,  before  embark- 
ing on  SS.  Peskawurirom.  Southampton,  concludes: — 

"  Having  placed  myself  in  the  hands  of  the  C.M.S  , 
whose  proceedings  are  ever  guided  by  prayer  to  Him 
who  over-rules  all,  I  doubt  not  but  everything  is 
ordered  for  the  best. 

"  May  God  grant  me  humble,  trustful  dependence 
on  His  promises  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord  ;  and  thus, 
going  forward  in  His  strength,  and  not  my  own,  I 
may  rely  on  that  arm  which  aforetime  divided  the 
Red  Sea  and  made  the  waters  of  Jordan  to  stand  on 
an  heap. 

"It  is  His  cause — it  must  prosper,  whether  I  be 
spared  to  see  its  consummation  or  not.  May  God 
give  me  health  and  strength  and  fit  me  for  so 
glorious  a  work,  the  enlargement  of  the  kingdom  of 
His  dear  Son  ! 

"  Pray  for  me,  that  grace  may  be  given  me  to  keep 
steadily  in  view  the  one  great  object. 

"Your  loving  Son, 

"  A.  M.  Mack  AY." 


*•  We  hurry  onward  to  extinguish  hell 
With  our  fresh  souls,  our  younger  hope,  and  God's 
Maturity  of  purpose.     Soon  shall  we 
Die  also  !" 

A.   M.   M.  3 


ON  THE  ROAD. 


"  I  gladly  testify  that  what  I  learned  of  the  stocking  frame 
was  not  thrown  away  ;  the  facility  of  using  tools,  and  of 
watching  and  keeping  the  machinery  in  order,  came  to  be  of 
great  value  to  me  in  the  Foreign  Mission  Field." — John  G. 
Paton,  Missionary  to  the  New  Hebrides. 

"A  little  carpentering,  black  and  tin  smithing,  shoemaking 
and  tailoring  would  be  a  real  gift  to  a  young  man  ;  he  would 
be  the  prouder  of  himself,  feeling,  'Let  the  worst  come  to  the 
worst,  I  am  not  useless.' " — General  Gordon's  Letters  to  his 
Sister, 


CHAPTER  III. 
ON     THE     ROAD. 

FROM  an  old  journal,  the  outer  leaves  of  which 
are  illegible  from  the  action  of  the  waves, 
having  been  lost  in  the  wreck  of  the  Daisy  at 
Sadani,  June  20th,  1876,  but  washed  ashore  some 
days  afterwards,  and  sent  to  Mackay  by  Bwani  Heri, 
the  Sultan  of  Sadani,  I  cull  the  following  extracts 
from  his  account  of  the  voyage  from  Southampton 
to  Zanzibar. 

Sunday,  April  30M,  1876. — At  10.30  the  captain 
read  prayers  in  the  saloon,  when  a  good  number 
turned  up  to  take  part.  Of  course  one  or  two  of 
the  nil  adinirai'i  men  stayed  on  deck  smoking. 
Every  one  knows — they  knew  themselves — that  they 
only  made  themselves  contemptible  by  so  doin<4. 
O'Neill  and  I,  however,  with  no  feelings  of  Pharisa- 
ism, joined  heartily  in  the  service,  however  formal  it 
might  be  supposed  by  some  "  ultras  "  to  be,  as  we 
wished  to  join  with  every  one  who  inclined  to  echo 
Joshua's  motto,  "  As  for  me  and  my  house,  we  will 
serve  the  Lord."  In  the  evening  it  became  much 
more  settled,  and  the  stars  came  out  to  join  us  in 
forgetting  the  discomfort  of  the  previous  days. 


38  ON   THE  ROAD. 


Monday,  May  ist,  1876. — May  day,  warm,  and 
bright,  and  clear.  No  day  could  be  finer.  Passing 
down  the  Portuguese  coast,  we  can  ahnost  in- 
stinctively know  we  are  in  proximity  to  the  sunny 
land  of  the  vine.  The  ends  of  the  great  sierras 
are  to  be  seen  as  we  skirt  the  coast.  The  sea  is 
calm,  and  the  sun  warm,  and  every  lady  shows 
herself  in  her  fairest  of  fair  sexness.  The  P.  and  O. 
stand  now  a  poor  chance  of  their  cook's  stores  hold- 
ing out  too  long.  But  the  master  of  culinary  opera- 
tions seems  to  do  his  best  to  make  it  fashionable 
when  the  bell  rings,  so  we  do  our  best  to  reward  him 
for  his  trouble  by  sending  his  largest  dishes  empty 
back  to  him. 

Afternoon,  3.30. — Near  Cape  St.  Vincent.  Every 
man  uses  his  eyes,  with  or  without  spectacles, 
binoculars,  or  telescopes,  to  the  utmost.  Bold, 
inhospitable  coast — seems  to  be  much  sandstone. 
But  the  pleasant  slopes  behind  we  can  only  picture 
in  our  fancy.  Ah,  poor  Spain,  and  poorer  Portugal ! 
I  see  only  a  blind  wall  when  I  see  thee.  But  if 
I  could,  like  a  mason,  see  through  that  wall,  what 
should  I  find  ? — a  people  blinder  still.  The  loving 
Lord  has  given  thee  a  sunny  land  with  pretty 
mountain  slopes,  where  every  man  in  thee  may 
sit  under  his  own  vine  and  lie  in  the  shade  of 
bis  own  fig-tree.  But  the  venomous  blood  of  the 
Bourbons  and  the  cursed  leaven  of  Rome  have 
undermined  thy  vital  powers,  and  now  thou  art  a 
corrupting  mass,  waiting,  maybe,  till,  like  thy  fellow- 


ZANZIBAR  STOKERS.  39 

victim  of  the  East,  thy  sickness  proves  incurable,  and 
thou  wilt  cease  to  be. 

Tuesday,  May  2nd,  1876. — O'Neill  woke  me  up  at 
half-past  five  to  see  the  African  coast.  I  jumped  at 
once  to  let  my  eye  catch  its  first  glance  at  the  huge 
continent,  the  heart  of  which  we  meant  to  pierce. 
Now  for  thousands  of  miles  we  shall  keep  its  high- 
lands in  view  to  our  starboard,  and  after  all  we  shall 
not  have  compassed  the  half  of  its  mighty  mass. 
Now  for  the  springing  up  of  new  light  in  the  dark 
land  of  dusky  Ham  !  Is  there  any  power  that  will 
elevate  the  degraded  race  ?  Yes,  the  Gospel — mighty 
power  !  We  did  not  create  Christianity — we  received 
it,  and  received  with  it  every  blessing  we  have.  Is 
it,  therefore,  much  for  us  to  give  a  little  of  what  we 
had  no  right  to  get,  and  got  only  to  give?  But 
Christians  talk  at  home  of  the  expense  of  missions, 
and  the  sacrifice  that  missionaries  make  in  setting 
to  do  a  fraction  of  what  tJiey  ought  to  do  who  adopt 
the  proxy  system  of  doing  nothing  at  all. 

To-day,  after  lunch,  I  heard  a  row  above  the  stoke- 
hole. I  came  on  deck,  and  found  the  Zanzibar  men 
on  board  in  true  character.  There  they  were,  with 
their  closely  shorn  heads  and  their  airy  garments, 
hoisting  the  ashes  and  cinders  from  the  boiler-room 
floor  to  the  deck.  As  each  bucket  went  through  the 
process  of  passing  up  or  down  the  hoist,  all  joined 
in  a  most  unmusical  chant,  the  two  or  three  who 
were  working  the  hardest  singing  the  most  lustily. 
One  fat  fellow  shouted  so  hard  and  clapped  his  hands 


40  ON  THE  ROAD. 


SO  energetically  that  the  perspiration  poured  down 
his  face  and  open  chest.  The  two  who  were  really 
working  shouted  the  loudest,  the  others  seemingly 
exerting  themselves  chiefly  in  keeping  up  the  song 
and  beating  perfect  time  by  way  of  inciting  the  busy 
pair. 

These  Seedee  boys,  as  they  are  called  at  Bombay, 
are  negroes  from  Zanzibar.  As  stokers,  I  believe, 
they  are  very  good.  When  not  engaged  below,  they 
lie  above  on  the  grating  over  the  boilers,  and  either 
sleep  away  their  idle  hours  or  make  jests  among 
each  other,  one  occasionally  tapping  the  top  of  a 
rude  drum  with  his  fingers.  But  musical  certainly 
they  are  not  in  our  sense  of  the  term.  Their  ear 
may,  by  training,  be  able  to  trace  a  melody  in  beats 
upon  a  badly  strung  drum,  and  simultaneous  cries 
resembling  ki — i — i — a — i — i — ia — proceeding  from 
any  other  part  of  the  throat  than  the  larynx. 

What  the  derivation  of  the  word  Seedee  is  I  do  not 
know,  but  was  told  this  morning — with  what  pro- 
bability of  accuracy  I  leave  the  reader  to  judge — 
that  they  are  called  C.  D.  boys,  because  they  do  not 
answer  to  the  epithet  A.  B. !  (Able  Bodied  ?). 

Saturday,  May  6th. — Arrived  at  Malta.  What 
a  dried-up  looking  place !  Sandstone,  sandstone, 
sandstone !  Civita  Vecchia  (old  city)  is  seen  from 
Malta ;  at  least,  the  town  which  stands  near  the  bay 
where  the  great  apostle  was  shipwrecked.  We  did 
not  go  there,  as  we  wished  to  spend  some  time  ex- 
amining St.  John's  Church.     Plain  building  outside, 


THE  EAVESDROPPING  PRIEST.  4I 

but  the  interior  profusely  decorated.  The  paintings 
on  the  roof  are  quite  recent,  but  there  are  some  fine 
old  works  of  art  on  the  sides,  both  on  canvas  and  in 
stone.  It  was  the  afternoon,  and  no  service  ;  mass 
being,  of  course,  all  over  by  twelve  noon.  As  we 
went  in,  we  were  conducted  round  by  a  respectable- 
looking  doorkeeper  or  sacristan,  two  others,  less 
respectable  looking,  sitting  inside  the  door.  Soon 
however,  one  of  the  two — the  more  respectable  one 
— ^joined  us,  and  assisted  in  explaining  to  us  the 
pictures,  etc.  The  third,  and  least  respectable  of  all, 
I  noticed  lounging  about  with  his  hands  in  his 
pockets,  and  always  keeping  within  hearing  distance 
of  our  subdued  remarks.  After  we  had  seen  the 
burning  lamps,  and  the  rows  of  candles  not  burning; 
the  large  altar  and  the  host  of  small  ones  ;  the 
beautiful  marble  pillars,  and  more  beautifully  inlaid 
work ;  the  grotesque,  helical  columns,  and  tombs  of 
the  brave  old  knights,  we  paid  our  douceur  and 
departed.  When  outside  the  door,  we  asked  our 
guide  what  the  third  fellow  was  who  walked  about 
the  church  after  us  with  his  big  paunch  and  shabby 
suit.  "  That  was  a  priest,"  said  the  man.  And  so 
I  hope  it  was.  Thou  disguised  Jesuit !  (I  am  guilty 
of  redundancy  of  expression  in  using  these  two  words 
together.)  I  knew  not  that  thou  wert  one,  but  perhaps 
thy  eavesdropping  may  do  thee  good.  Thou  didst 
see  me  open  one  of  the  choral  books,  and,  reading 
a  few  of  its  Latin  sentences,  ask  the  sacristans  if  they 
understood  the  words  I   read.     Didst  thou  not  hear 


43  ON   THE  ROAD. 


them  say  they  did  not  understand  ?  Didst  thou  not 
hear  me  challenge  them  for  a  defence  of  their 
hypocrisy  in  pretending  to  worship  God  by  the 
priest  vainly  babbling  to  them  in  an  unknown 
tongue?  Oh  that  foul  leaven  of  thine  which  is 
hypocrisy  !  What  is  Italy  to-day  but  what  thy 
corrupt  teaching  for  centuries  has  made  it  ?  What 
is  Spain  ?  What  is  Ireland  ?  Even  in  Malta  thy 
vileness  is  everywhere  conspicuous.  Beggary,  igno- 
rance, blackguardism,  crime, — these  are  the  charac- 
teristic marks,  with  filth  and  poverty  too. 

We  go  to  plant  Churches  of  the  living  God  in 
Central  Africa  ;  but  we  go  sowing  the  good  seed, 
knowing  only  too  well  that  thy  hand  will  soon  come 
and  sow  tares  among  the  wheat.  The  good  meal 
will  soon  be  leavened  by  thy  stealthy  hand,  till  the 
whole  be  one  vile  mass  corrupted  by  thy  Mary 
worship  and  thy  mass  worship  ! 

But  ignorance  is  the  ground  where  thou  plantest 
credulity  most,  and  where  thy  false  pretensions  are 
of  any  avail;  and  to  thwart  thee  in  thine  unprincipled 
actions,  I  shall,  in  the  name  and  strength  of  God, 
set  up  my  printing  press  on  the  shores  of  the 
Victoria  Nyanza,  and  I  shall  not  cease  to  toil  till 
the  story  of  the  Cross  of  Christ  be  printed  in  the 
language  of  Karague  and  Uganda,  and  every  man 
be  taught  to  read  it  and  believe  it  too  I 

Monday,  May  2>th,  1876. — Steaming  quietly  E.S.E., 
about  100  miles  to  the  south  of  Crete.  The  island 
is  not  in  siszht.     Met  one  large  steamer   and  a  brig 


ON  CHANGING  HORSES.  43 

this  morning.  Otherwise  no  vessel  within  sight 
yesterday  or  to-day.  Studied  a  little  Suahili  and 
medicine.  Took  an  observation  by  way  of  amusement, 
and  checked  thermometers.  Cool  wind,  beautiful 
sky,  full  moon.  Just  as  the  sun  went  down,  Candia 
was  to  be  seen  far  in  the  distance.  Last  sight  of 
Europe  for  a  long  time  to  come ! 

Wednesday,  May  loth,  1876. — This  morning  Port 
Said  in  sight.  The  deep  blue  of  the  Mediterranean 
water  is  changed  for  the  less  clear  liquid  of  the  old 
Nile,  rhis  my  first  taste  of  the  Nile  ;  but  every  one 
can  bathe  at  its  mouth.  My  next,  God  willing,  will 
be  at  its  source. 

Wednesday,  May  iph. — This  morning  arrived  at 
Aden.  The  famous  water-tanks  at  Aden  we  drove 
to  see.  They  adjoin  the  town  itself,  which  lies  about 
three  and  a  half  miles  east  from  Stear  Point.  As 
examples  of  heavy  concrete  work,  the  tanks  are  well 
worth  seeing  ;  but  otherwise  there  is  nothing  at  all 
remarkable  about  their  construction,  from  an  engi- 
neering point  of  view.  The  driver  of  our  carriage 
was  much  perplexed  at  our  ideas  of  anti-cruelty  to 
animals,  when  we  took  his  whip  from  him  to  put 
a  stop  to  his  perpetual  belabouring  of  the  two 
skeletons  in  front  of  him.  On  reaching  Aden  he 
promised  to  put  in  fresh  horses,  and  on  our  coming 
down  from  the  tanks,  he  assured  us  he  had  done  so ; 
but  we  found  no  difficulty  in  assuring  ourselves,  and 
him  too,  that  these  were  the  same  poor  animals  that 
had  driven  us  there,  only  he  had  changed  sides,  with 


44  ON  THE  ROAD. 


putting  right  for  left!  I  lifted  the  harness  on  the 
brutes'  backs,  and  found  the  skin  fearfully  cut.  Is 
there  no  friend  of  the  horse  in  Aden  ?  Do  English- 
men cease  to  be  humane  because  they  stay  there  ? 
It  seems  to  be  so,  else  I  should  not  have  seen  what  I 
have  seen. 

Monday,  May  29///,  1876. — To-night,  as  the  sun 
went  down,  passed  Kokoto-ni,  the  north  end  of  the 
island  Zanzibar.  The  sun  went  down  two  hours 
before  we  came  to  Zanzibar,  but  the  moon  was  bright. 
The  captain  was  chaffed  by  some  of  us  as  to  his  not 
being  able  to  take  us  in  that  night.  The  navigation 
among  the  coral  reefs  is  very  difficult.  He  felt  on 
his  mettle,  so  he  borrowed  my  binocular,  an  excellent 
one  for  night  work,  ascended  the  bridge,  and  never 
came  down  till  we  cast  anchor  in  the  fine  morning 
ofif  the  town  at  8  a.m.  Thanks  to  Almighty  God  we 
are  at  our  journey's  end — let  me  rather  say  beginning, 

A.  M.  Mackay. 

In  a  letter  dated  Zanzibar,  30th  June,  1876,  he 
writes : — 

"Lieut.  Smith  and  I  started  on  Monday,  12th 
June,  for  the  exploration  of  the  Wami.  We  were 
eight  days  up  the  river,  which  we  ascended  only 
about  seventy  miles.  It  is  frightfully  winding,  and 
navigable  perhaps  two  or  three  times  as  far  as  we 
went.     But  we   found   the  people  inhospitable,^  and 

'  Lieut.  Smith  and  M.ickay  did  not  know  then  that  the  Wadoi 
are  notorious  cannibals. 


ASCENDS   THE    WAMI.  45 

the  chiefs  extortionate  in  their  demands  ;  besides,  the 
water  was  falling  rapidly  (two  inches  per  day).  As  a 
rule  we  had  from  five  to  seven  feet  of  water,  and  150 
in  breadth.  But  what  took  us  five  days  to  go  up 
takes  only  two  days  to  walk  in  a  direct  line.  The 
illness  of  Lieut.  Smith,  however,  decided  our  return. 
He  had  fever  three  times  within  the  first  five  days, 
and  the  last  attack  reduced  him  so  very  much  that 
he  was  not  even  able  to  sit  up,  and  is  now  only 
recovering  from  it.  To  the  lovingkindness  and  pro- 
tection of  the  good  Lord,  I  owe  perfect  immunity 
from  the  sun  and  poisonous  malaria  all  the  time.  As 
we  slept  night  after  night  between  the  jungly  banks 
of  the  river,  the  kind  eye  of  the  Redeemer  watched 
over  us.  Had  we  both  been  ill  at  once,  we  know  not 
who  would  have  returned  to  tell  the  tale  ;  but  the 
Lord  ordained  it  otherwise,  and  to  Him  be  praise. 
Perhaps  much  of  my  escape  is  due  to  the  fact  of  the 
whole  trouble  falling  on  me  during  the  greater  portion 
of  the  time,  as  Smith  was  quite  incapacitated.  After 
coming  back,  we  were  swamped,  Daisy  and  all,  by  the 
waves  off  Sadani.  We  rescued  almost  everything, 
however,  and  I  got  Smith  to  bed  in  the  chiefs  house 
there.  I  chartered  a  dhow  there,  and  at  midnight  I 
came  on  board  her  with  our  stuff,  leaving  some  medi- 
cine with  Smith,  and  the  boat  in  careful  hands.  Cold 
and  wet  and  hungry,  I  lay  down  in  the  miserable 
hulk  among  some  goods  down  in  the  hold.  In  six 
hours  I  was  here,  and  found  the  Highland  Lassie 
had   arrived.     O'Neill   I  found   down   with   fever,  but 


46  ON  THE  ROAD. 


the  rest  well,  thank  God.  Robertson  and  I  started 
off  in  a  few  hours  back  to  Sadani  in  the  Highland 
Lassie.  At  night  we  drew  near  shore.  Robertson 
and  I  went  ashore  in  a  boat  to  see  where  we  were, 
but  the  tide  was  a  mile  out,  and  we  lost  our  boat. 
So  we  had  no  help  for  it  but  make  for  the  mainland, 
walking  up  to  the  knees  in  mud.  We  were  directed 
providentially  to  a  small  fire  of  sticks  where  a  boy 
was  sleeping.  He  had  been  there  cutting  wood  all 
day.  We  learned  from  him  that  we  were  a  dozen 
miles  south  of  Sadani !  So  we  took  off  our  boots, 
filled  inside  with  mud  and  water,  and  sat  by  the  fire 
waiting  for  dawn  of  day.  At  daybreak  we  found  our 
boat  and  got  back  to  the  ship,  made  for  Sadani,  and 
brought  Smith  and  the  Daisy  back.  Some  of  us  will 
start  in  a  few  days  up  the  Kingani,  to  send  Clark  and 
O'Neill  on  to  Usagara.  I  do  not  think  I  shall  go,  as 
there  is  so  much  to  be  done  here  for  the  general 
caravan." 

Lieut.  Smith,  having  had  another  attack  of  fever, 
was  unable  to  go  up  the  Kingani  as  he  intended  ; 
but  Mackay  went,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Holmwood 
the  Vice-Consul,  whose  knowledge  of  the  people 
and  facility  in  speaking  Suahili  proved  of  essential 
service.  They  were  away  from  the  7th  to  the  27th 
of  July  exploring  the  river,  which  was  found  navi- 
gable as  far  as  they  went  (160  miles),  but  even  more 
tortuous  than  the  Wami — so  much  so  that  the  little 
Daisy  itself  proved  too  long  to  get  round  the  sharp 
bends  easily.    Moreover,  the  numerous  stumps  of  trees 


SERIOUSLY  ILL.  47 


in  the  channel  rendered  steering  very  difficult,  and; 
indeed,  the  Daisy  struck  on  one  coming  down,  and 
sustained  some  damage.  The  idea  of  a  water  route 
was  therefore  abandoned. 

The  expedition  for  the  interior  was  divided  into 
four  parties,  and  Mackay  led  the  third  caravan  of 
200  porters,  etc. 

In  November,  he  became  seriously  ill  in  the  march 
through  Ugogo,  but  only  allowed  himself  to  be 
sent  back  on  condition  that  Dr.  Smith  did  not  ac- 
company him,  which  he  was  determined  to  do,  and 
wrote  to  Edinburgh  that  "  he  certainly  would  have 
done,  but  that  such  a  suggestion  seemed  to  retard  the 
prospect  of  his  patient's  recovery."  So  the  two  parted 
never  to  meet  again  in  the  flesh,  for  Dr.  Smith  died 
shortly  afterwards,  and  Mackay  writes  broken- 
heartedly  :  "  My  noble  and  good  brother  is  taken 
from  us — so  gentle  and  kind,  and  a  capital  physician. 
I  will  never  look  on  his  like  again  !  " 

Mackay  recovered  before  he  reached  the  coast, 
but  received  instructions  from  the  C.M.S.  not  to  start 
for  the  interior  until  June,  by  which  time  the  rainy 
season  would  be  over.  The  following  extracts  from 
letters  to  his  family  show  how  he  employed  his  time 
in  sending  on  a  relief  caravan  to  his  brethren  on  the 
lake.  Some  interesting  re?icontres  with  slave-dealers 
are  also  described,  as  well  as  his  adventures  while 
cutting  a  good  road  to  Mpwapwa,  230  miles  inland, 
and  amusing  incidents  in  his  attempt  to  take  bul- 
lock-v/agons  up  country. 


48  ON  771  E   ROAD. 


"  C.M.S.S.  Highland  Lassie,  c^th  Dec,  1876. 

"Off  Zanzibar. 

"Unhappily  I  had  to  return  hors  de  combat ;  but, 
contrary  to  my  most  sanguine  expectations,  I  re- 
covered long  before  I  came  to  the  coast  I  fully 
expected  when  I  left  my  companions  that  I  should 
have  to  take  a  turn  down  to  Johanna  or  Natal  to 
recover,  as  my  disease  .-eemed  so  deeply  inset.  Aber 
der  Hebe  Gott  ist  mir  gnadig  gewesen  und  scJion  bin 
ich  noch  einmal  gesioid.  As  a  rule  we  did  not  find  a 
camp  where  we  spent  the  night  on  our  run  down 
from  Mpwapwa,  so  I  just  had  my  tent  put  up  in 
the  open  air  under  a  tree,  and  there  I  always  slept 
soundly.  My  men  lit  their  fires  and  lay  round  me  on 
the  grass.  It  never  got  cold  at  night — i.e.  not  below 
So**,  or  at  the  lowest  75°  Fahr,, — so  that  with  two 
thick  blankets  over  me  to  keep  the  dew  off,  I  was  all 
right.  But  with  such  marching  one  must  eat  well. 
There  is  not  always  anything  to  be  had  to  eat ;  but 
I  bought  the  smoked  leg  of  a  wild  boar  at  Mpwapwa, 
and  that,  with  a  few  fowls'  eggs  I  bought  by  the  way, 
served  to  make  me  a  decent  meal. 

"  I  am  living  here  on  board  the  Highland  Lassie 
out  in  the  anchorage.  On  shore  the  mosquitoes  bite  so 
hard  that  I  find  it  better  to  sleep  on  the  cool  deck  of 
our  little  missionary  ship.  At  present  there  is  little 
quietness,  as  mechanics  from  the  Londtm  are  repair- 
ing the  vessel.  It  is,  I  believe,  most  beneficial  and 
necessary  to  be  laid  down  a  bit.  It  keeps  a  fellow's 
pride  and  confidence  in  himself  down,  and  makes  him 


NO  REGRETS.  49 


see  how  all  strength  comes  from  the  great  Giver  of  all 
things  good.  I  enjoy  very  much  reading  all  the 
papers  you  send  me.  The  British  Association  and 
the  present  anti-Turkish  feeling  have  afforded  me 
many  a  pleasant  and  profitable  hour's  reading.  I 
have  not  yet  had  time  to  read  more  than  the  half 
of  last  month's  news.  To-day  or  to-morrow  should 
bring  in  the  next  budget,  too.  All  success  to  the 
King  of  Belgium  and  the  Glasgow  merchants.  I  read 
in  The  Record — Church  of  England  organ — a  full 
report  of  a  recent  great  meeting  where  Sir  B.  Frere, 
Price  of  Mombasa,  Cameron,  and  Sir  J.  Kennaway 
were  the  chief  speakers.  The  spirit  of  the  speeches 
was  all  that  my  heart  could  desire.  It  is  worth  while 
to  hear  African  men  talk  about  Africa.  But  the  stay- 
at-home  savans  are  generally  ridiculous  in  their 
remarks.  You  would  scarcely  believe  it,  but  scarcely 
a  single  European  in  Zanzibar  has  been  over  as  far 
as  Bagamoyo.  The  continent  over  the  way  is  a  blank 
to  them. 

"  I  am  sorry  S should  think  I  entertain  regrets 

at  coming  out  here.  Why,  I  would  not  exchange 
my  position  for  a  thousand  times  the  value  of  his. 
It  is  true  that  I  have  much  secular  work  to  do 
yet  before  I  get  settled  down  in  Uganda,  and  pro- 
bably shall  have  much  more  after  ;  but  it  is  all  for 
the  one  end  which  my  heart's  desire  is  to  see  accom- 
plished." 


A.  M.  M. 


so  ON  THE  ROAD. 


"Zanzibar,  2^th Jan.,  1877. 

"Flying  about  and  hurry  and  worry  seem  to  be  the 
work  I  have  on  hand  at  present.  I  do  much,  very 
much  long  to  be  at  my  proper  work  in  Uganda ;  but 
these  preliminaries  must  be  done,  and  I  have  no 
reason  to  grudge  having  an  extra  long  spell  at  them. 
My  engineering  now  has  turned  into  pagazi-hunting, 
donkey-driving,  and  cattle-dealing.  Such  work,  com- 
bined with  making  up  of  bales  for  carriage,  training 
bulls  for  draught,  and  preparing  all  the  necessaries  for 
an  expedition  into  Central  Africa,  requires  all  my 
time  and  thought.  Above  all  things,  it  requires  fore- 
thought. In  Germany  I  used  to  be  asked  why  it  was 
that  we  English  engineers  were  more  successful  in 
our  designs  than  Germans  who  were  more  scientifi- 
cally trained.  My  reply  was,  that  the  first  essential  of 
a  good  designer  was  foretliought  (Vorsicht),  the  second 
experiment  (das  Probiren),  the  third  courage  (Muth). 
These  things  I  used  to  put  before  indefinite  calculation 
and  beautiful  drawings.  And  now  I  find  that  my 
training  in  these  essentials,  with  such  materials  as 
steam  and  steel,  does  me  good  service  in  the  present 
work,  where  the  outfit  of  a  caravan  is  the  thing 
wanted." 

"  5///  March,  1877. 

"  I  told  you  last  month  that  Mr.  Wright  had  writ- 
ten me  not  to  start  for  Uganda  till  June;  so  I  have 
this  month  fitted  up  a  caravan  of  about  seventy  loads, 
and  despatched  it  under  charge  of  an  Englishman 
named  Morton,  who   once  belonged  to   the   English 


LIBERATES  SOME  SLAVES.  51 

Universities'  Mission  here.  My  instructions  are  also 
to  set  to  work  on  the  road  from  Sadani  to  Mpwapwa. 
I  shall  likely  put  a  good  gang  of  men,  sixty  or 
seventy,  on  the  work,  that  I  may  be  able  to  progress 
rapidly.  Every  one  here  agrees  with  me  in  regard- 
ing my  proposal  of  a  wooden  tramway  as  the  most 
feasible  and  cheap  method  of  roadway. 

"  In  the  course  of  the  month  I  have  had  various 
adventures  outside  of  the  work  of  equipping  the  cara- 
van. Living  at  Sadani,  I  have  discovered  that  large 
slave  caravans  are  continually  passing  the  place.  I 
liberated  the  slaves  of  one  caravan,  and  gave  chase  to 
several  others.  An  Englishman  from  Zanzibar  came 
over  to  see  mc  one  day,  and  joined  me  in  a  pursuit 
of  forty  miles  in  one  day  ;  but  want  of  food  compelled 
us  to  return  at  nightfall  after  we  had  almost  overtaken 
a  gang  of  120  little  children  in  chains.  A  Swiss 
gentleman — called  M.  Philippe  Broyon — and  myself 
attacked  another  caravan  one  evening ;  but  the  Arabs 
and  slaves  got  off  in  the  jungle  when  it  became  dark. 
The  Arabs  kept  up  a  hard  fire  against  us,  and  shot 
one  of  my  men,  breaking  his  pelvis  bone.  Broyon 
shot  an  Arab  in  the  leg,  and  unfortunately  killed  5 
slave,  I  believe.  But  I  have  determined  to  let  all 
slavers  pass  by  quietly  in  future,  as  the  chief  and 
people  of  Sadani  are  determined  to  rather  help  the 
infernal  traffic  than  stop  it.  Some  of  them  went  out 
to  help  Broyon  and  me,  but  they  took  care  to  put 
no  powder  in  their  guns,  and  previously  advised  the 
slavers  to  get  off  as  fast  as  possible,  as  white  men  were 


52  ON   THE   ROAD. 


coming  after  them.  Said  Burgash's  great  edicts  of 
last  June  are  paid  not  the  sh'ghtest  attention  to,  and 
the  traffic  is  at  present  going  on  as  bad  as,  if  not 
worse  than,  ever.  I  have  informed  Dr.  Kirk  of  what 
I  find  going  on,  and  he  has  got  the  Sultan  to  inform 
the  chief  of  Sadani  that  he  will  be  under  peril  of  his 
life  if  more  slaves  pass  through  Sadani.  The  friend- 
ship of  the  chief — Bwana  Heri — is  very  useful  to  me, 
as  Sadani  is  now  my  dep6t  and  place  for  starting 
inland  ;  but  we  cannot  agree  about  the  slave  trade, 
and  he  knows  my  presence  there  is  bringing  him  into 
hot  water.  Still,  I  must  do  my  duty,  and  I  know  I 
shall  not  be  put  to  shame. 

"  Philippe  Broyon  is  a  Swiss,  and  the  first  white 
man  who  has  gone  into  the  interior  to  trade.  Mir- 
ambo  has  sworn  eternal  friendship  with  him,  and 
given  him  his  daughter  as  wife.  I  have  already 
obtained  much  valuable,  because  reliable,  information 
from  him.  It  is  owing  to  him  that  Mirambo  sent  to 
our  party  to  say  he  would  let  them  pass  in  peace,  and 
would  also  be  friendly  to  our  mission.  Next  to 
Uganda,  Urambo  is  the  greatest  power  in  Central 
Africa." 

"Zanzibar,  ^oth  March,  i2>77. 

"  I  am  rather  shaky  just  now.  I  have  had  a  rather 
bad  month  this  time,  as  the  African  giant  Mukun- 
guru,  or  remittent  fever,  has  at  last  attacked  me,  and 
thrown  me  down  three  or  four  times.  I  am  now  re- 
covering, all  fever  being  gone  ;  but  I  have  hard  work  to 
get  strength  again.    More  than  three  weeks  ago  I  fell 


STRAJS/GE   SLEEPING  PLACES.  53 

ill  over  at  Sadani,  The  trouble  of  getting  the  cara- 
van, which  I  have  entrusted  to  Morton,  fully  ready  and 
started,  proved  just  enough  for  me.  At  Sadani  I  was 
carefully  nursed  by  Broyon,  who  had  just  returned 
from  the  heart  of  the  continent  with  a  large  caravan 
of  ivory  he  had  gained.  I  then  came  over  to  Zanzi- 
bar in  one  of  the  Sultan's  steamers,  where  a  gentle- 
man named  Streeter,  who  came  out  last  mail  for 
Mombasa,  watched  me  carefully  till  Mr.  Brown,  of 
Smith  &  Co.,  our  agents,  came  and  got  me  to  his 
house  on  the  beach  at  Shungani  Point.  Here  I  am 
near  the  doctor's  house,  and  am  in  every  way  most 
comfortable.  Nothing  could  exceed  the  kindness 
with  which  Mr.  Brown  has  nursed  me  in  the  worst 
stages  of  my  fever.  As  for  Dr.  Robb,  the  Consular 
doctor,  he  has  been  most  unwearying  in  his  attend- 
ance, coming  to  see  me  late  and  early,  three  or  four 
times  a  day,  and  supplying  me  with  medicines  free,  as 
I  am  a  missionary." 

**  April  loth. 
**  I  am  again  well,  thank  God,  and  have  become 
quite  indifferent  as  to  the  sort  of  accommodation  I 
get.  I  have  slept  in  all  sorts  of  places — a  cow-byre,  a 
sheep-cote,  a  straw  hut  not  larger  than  a  dog-kennel, 
a  hen-house,  and  often  in  no  house  at  all.  So  any- 
thing suits  me,  provided  I  get  a  spot  tolerably  clear 
of  ants  and  mosquitoes.  Of  all  the  plagues  of  Egypt, 
none  could  have  been  worse  than  that  of  the  black 
ants  1 " 


54  ON   7 HE  ROAD. 


"Magubika,  Useguiia,  East  Africa, 

"25///  May,  1877. 

"  My  present  position  is  a  village  over  forty  miles 
from  the  coast.  I  have  got  this  length,  and  in  fact  a 
good  few  miles  further.  I  have  had  a  deal  of  very 
heavy  cutting  to  do,  and  some  ugly  places  to  level ; 
but  with  it  all  I  have  within  the  last  month  prepared 
a  clear  wagon  way  for  a  distance  of  fifty  miles.  I 
would  have  been  much  further  on  had  not  one  very 
awkward  nullah  taken  me  seven  days  to  bridge 
over.  There  is  not  over  a  foot  of  water  in  tiie  nullah 
at  present  ;  but  I  found  from  the  flood-marks  that  in 
the  inasika  time  a  spate  sweeps  down  it  some  twelve 
feet  deep  and  fifty  feet  broad.  Many  a  stately  tree 
came  down  to  form  the  girders,  piers,  and  piles  of 
this  the  first  engineering  work  on  the  future  highway 
to  Central  Africa  ;  and  as  the  timber  I  used  was  hard 
as  iron,  I  hope  it  will  long  stand  against  the  attacks 
of  white  ants,  and  constitute,  as  it  is  already,  a  stand- 
ing marvel  in  the  eyes  of  all  the  Waschenzi  (natives) 
who  pass  that  way.  There  are  many  more  nullahs 
between  the  coast  and  the  further  point  I  have  cut  to, 
but  I  have  been  able  to  get  a  fair  way  over  them  all 
by  merely  sloping  down  the  banks  with  pick  and 
spade,  and  in  some  cases  by  making  also  a  long 
detour. 

"  My  working  gang  consists  of  only  about  forty  men, 
and  these  I  have  armed  with  the  best  American  axes, 
English  hatchets,  picks  and  spades  and  saws,  all  of 
which  tools  are  as  new  to  them  as  they  are  to  the 


A    USEFUL   GRINDSTONE.  55 


natives  of  the  villages  we  pass  through.  A  donkey's 
load  of  large  iron  nails  I  have  taken  with  me,  and 
plenty  of  hammers  to  drive  them  in,  but  the  wood  is,  as 
a  rule,  too  hard  for  the  iron  to  enter — an  emergency  I 
had  foreseen  and  provided  against  by  supplying  myself 
with  a  large  stock  of  strong  rope  of  cocoa-nut  fibre. 
One  of  the  tools  I  brought  with  me  from  England 
proves  more  serviceable  than  all  the  rest  together, 
though  its  use  may  be  called  a  secondary  one.  It  is 
merely  a  two-foot  grindstone,  which  I  have  mounted 
on  a  wooden  frame,  and  every  evening  we  return  from 
work  in  time,  the  edges  of  the  tools  are  applied  to 
the  face  of  this  wonderful  machine,  while  the  villagers 
crowd  around  as  anxiously  gazing  on  as  little  Toddy 
ever  did  when  he  '  wanted  to  see  the  wheels  go 
wound.' 

"  The  dense  and  thorny  jungles,  of  which  I  have 
had  already  a  collective  length  of  nearly  a  couple  of 
English  miles,  presented  a  resistance  quite  peculiar 
to  themselves.  They  form  chiefly  a  growth  of 
underwood  and  climbing  plants,  which  have  sprung 
up  on  the  site  where  a  fine  primeval  forest  once  stood. 
What  has  become  of  these  forests  it  is  hard  to  say. 
Remnants  of  stumps  seem  to  indicate  that  they  were 
cut  down  by  a  previous  generation  of  savages,  prob- 
ably to  make  way  for  the  growing  of  corn,  which  they 
sow  only  on  the  most  fertile  patches;  and  the  villages 
in  their  vicinity  having  been  destroyed  by  war  or 
other  causes,  the  ground  was  left  to  nature's  hand, 
and  she  has  indeed  shown  me  what  she  can   produce 


56  ON   THE  ROAD. 


wlien  left  to  work  her  will.  Imagine  a  forest  of  lofty, 
slender  trees,  with  a  cop  between  of  thorny  creepers, 
so  dense  below  that  a  cat  could  scarcely  creep  along, 
and  branched  and  intertwined  above  like  green,  un- 
ravelled hemp.  The  line  of  the  road  through  it  is 
a  path  wriggling  right  and  left,  as  if  it  had  followed 
the  trail  of  a  reptile,  and  almost  losing  itself  here  and 
there,  where  the  creeping  wild  vine  and  thorny  acacia 
have  encroached  upon  it.  Caravans  from  the  coast 
to  Unyanyembe,  Uganda,  Ujiji,  and  from  these  places 
to  the  coast,  have  passed  and  repassed  such  impedi- 
ments on  the  way  ;  yet,  though  the  pagazi's  clothes 
were  torn,  and  the  bales  had  at  times  to  be  dragged 
along  the  ground,  no  one  ever  ventured  to  cut  a 
branch  or  a  twig  to  let  the  daylight  in,  where  the 
light  that  was,  only  served  to  make  the  darkness 
visible. 

"  I  had  come  up  this  road  before,  so  I  knew  what 
was  before  me,  and  now  the  densest  jungle  has  yielded 
to  the  slashing  strokes  of  a  score  of  Snider  sword 
bayonets,  which  I  have  given  my  best  men  to  carry. 

"  In  the  more  open  country  the  men  are  as  thinly 
distributed  as  the  trees  on  the  wayside,  and  sometimes 
five  or  six  are  far  behind  felling  a  huge  baobab  that 
tries  the  temper  ol  the  tools.  But  on  entering  a 
jungle  all  hands  are  at  work  together,  and,  as  is  their 
custom,  they  stir  eacn  other  on  by  chantmg  a  cnorus 
of  a  few  words  with  little  or  no  meaning.  One  of 
their  choruses,  extemporized,  I  guess,  for  my  par- 
ticular edification,  runs  thus  : — 


^    ROAtJ  i^OR  ENGLISHMEN  57 

*  Eh,  eh,  msungu  inbaya 
Tu  katti  miti, 
Tu  ende  Ulayaj* 

which  I  may  paraphrase :  '  Oh,  is  not  the  white  man 
very  bad  to  be  cutting  down  the  trees  to  make  a  way 
for  Engh'shmen  to  come  ? '  Through  the  densest 
thickets,  where  before  I  could  not  pull  my  donkeys 
through,  I  have  now  made  a  clear  way  broad  enough 
to  allow  the  largest  bullock  wagons  to  pass  each 
other  at  any  point. 

"Passers-by  open  their  mouth  as  well  as  their  eyes 
at  the  njia  kiibwa  (big  road)  of  the  white  man  ;  and 
when  they  return  to  talk  together  at  evening  in  their 
ienibes,  the  story  of  the  '  big  road  '  is  told,  and,  as  is 
always  the  case  in  Africa,  with  enormous  exaggera- 
tions. With  the  chief  men,  however,  the  story  does 
not  always  go  well  down  ;  and  the  report  is  being 
widely  spread  that  the  English  are  coming  to  take 
possession  of  the  country,  an  alarm  which  I  hope  will 
die  a  natural  and  speedy  death.  The  chief  of  the 
village  near  which  I  made  the  bridge  took  a  more 
practical  view  of  the  matter,  and  told  me  one  day, 
with  all  the  command  his  dirty  visage  could  assume, 
that  I  must  pay  him  a  hundred  dollars  for  cutting 
down  the  trees  in  his  territory.  I  told  him  that  it  was 
he  who  should  give  me  the  hundred  dollars,  to  pay 
my  men  for  making  a  bridge  which  he  and  his  people 
could  not  make,  but  which,  as  soon  as  I  was  gone, 
he  would  call  his  own,  and  probably  levy  honga,  or 
tribute,  from  those  caravans  which  cared  to  pay  him. 


58  ON  THE  ROAD. 


"  It  is  the  enterprising  Church  Missionary  Society 
that  has  projected  and  is  paying  the  whole  expense  of 
these  first  steps  in  the  way  of  making  a  highway  into 
inner  Africa  ;  and  the  matter  is  much  to  their  credit. 
As  a  German  friend  of  mine  (Rev.  G.  Pahner  Davies, 
Director  of  the  British  and  Foreign  Bible  Society, 
Berlin)  wrote  me  recently,  referring  to  the  grand  plans 
of  the  King  of  the  Belgians,  of  the  geographers  and 
explorers  whom  he  gathered  around  him  in  Brussels  : 
'  While  scientific  and  commercial  men  are  talking, 
the  servants  of  the  Cross  are  acting  ;  and  while  the 
former  are  fixing  in  words  the  problems  to  be  solved, 
the  latter  are  quietly  solving  them.' 

"We  are  Christian  missionaries,  and  our  work  is 
the  spread  of  the  Gospel  to  the  very  ends  of  the  earth. 
Where  we  do  not  already  find  a  way  by  which  to 
enter  unknown  lands,  we  make  a  way  ourselves.  In 
doing  so  we  make  a  way  for  others  to  follow  after — 
a  way  for  the  trader  to  enter  with  his  wares,  and  to 
return  a  richer  man.  Such  being  the  case,  it  would 
be  but  fair  for  us  to  expect  that  such  purely  secular 
work  as  road-making  be  taken  up  and  vigorously 
executed  by  those  who  will  the  most  largely  profit  by 
the  undertaking,  instead  of  leaving  it  to  be  done  at 
the  expense  of  the  Church.  Yet  what  I  have  quoted 
above  from  Mr.  Davies  will  ever  continue  to  be  true, 
and  no  less  so  will  be  what  he  adds  :  '  But  I  expect 
more  from  the  C.M.S.  in  their  field,  and  from  the 
London  Mission  on  Tanganyika,  and  the  Scotch 
Mission  on   the  Nyassa,  than  from   the   International 


MAKES  "BROTHERHOOD."  59 

Society  for  some  time  to  come.  What  they  do  will 
doubtless  be  accompanied  by  a  grand  flourish  of 
trumpets,  and  may  thus  attract  more  general  atten- 
tion. Their  Agamemnons  will  certainly  find  scribes 
enough  to  make  them  known.  Your  Agamemnons 
will  also,  I  trust,  not  fail  in  such  ;  but  of  one  thing 
I  am  sure,  your  names  will  stand  high  in  the  roll 
of  God,  for  you  go  forth  as  His  and  His  alone.' 

"  Many  thanks  for  the  Daily  Telegraphs  with  Stan- 
ley's letters.  They  are  indeed  interesting  and  valu- 
able to  me.  He  will  now  be  the  man  of  the  year,  not- 
withstanding all  his  enemies  say.  How  little  charity 
there  is  in  human  nature,  to  try  to  pull  down  a  man's 
successful  work.  Tyndall's  address  in  Glasgow  also 
reached  me  last  mail.  I  have  read  it  through,  and 
know  it  will  be  of  use  to  me  in  various  ways. 

"  I  told  you  last  month  that  I  had  got  a  horse  from 
the  Sultan  of  Zanzibar.  But  I  have  not  long  enjoyed 
the  use  of  it,  for  ten  days  ago  it  took  suddenly  ill — 
of  what  I  do  not  know — and  in  a  few  hours  it  died. 
Bwana  Heri,  the  chief  of  Sadani,  has  therefore  given 
me  his  own  riding  donkey,  and  it  saves  me  many  a 
mile  on  foot.  I  have  become  friends  with  all  the 
chiefs  on  the  road,  and  they,  every  one,  have  pro- 
moted me  to  the  rank  of  their  '  brother,'  which  means 
a  great  deal  in  East  Africa.  In  the  case  of  big 
chiefs  it  is  of  great  value.  Stanley  is  brother  to 
Mtesa  and  Mirambo,  and  that  has  aided  him  much." 


6o  ON   THE  ROAD. 


"C.M.S.  Camp,  nkak  Ktkwago, 

"  Christmas  Day,  1S77. 

"You  should  see  me  every  day  with  clothes  be- 
spattered with  mud,  and  hands  black  like  a  svvee[)'s, 
catching  the  spokes  of  the  wheel  every  now  and  then 
as  they  get  into  holes,  and  yelling  at  the  top  of  my 
voice  to  the  oxen,  till  the  forest  resounds  again.  So 
much  yelling  have  I  to  do  in  the  six  hours  we  march 
per  day,  that  when  I  get  into  camp  I  am  always 
quite  hoarse.  It  is  good  for  one's  lungs  to  have  to 
bellow  a  good  deal.  A  team  of  twenty-six  oxen, 
frequently  spanned  on  in  front  of  one  cart,  does  need 
good  shouting  and  lashing  to  get  them  to  pull  to- 
gether. It  is  not  walking  with  my  umbrella  or  riding 
on  a  donkey  behind  a  cart,  but  ever  getting  some  one 
or  other  or  all  the  carts  out  of  this  difficulty  and  the 
next  My  men  are  far  from  skilful  in  the  art  of 
driving  long  teams  through  the  forest,  and  are  con- 
stantly bringing  the  carts  against  trees,  or  stones,  or 
into  holes,  not  unfrequently  upsetting  them  altogether. 
Supposing  you  were  a  passenger  in  one  of  our  vehicles, 
you  would  come  by  a  few  rail(less)way  accidents 
almost  every  day.  It  is  hopeless,  for  instance,  in  try- 
ing to  cross  a  river,  to  find,  say  one  ox  lie  down, 
another  break  loose  and  run  awa}-,  >■  \eral  more  with 
their  faces  to  the  wagon,  where  tiieir  tails  should  be, 
and  so  on.  One's  patience  gets  sorely  ti  ied  by  such 
occurrences,  but  the  only  way  is  to  patiently  arrange 
all  and  try  again. 

"  Sitting  on  the  ground   in    the  bush  by  night,  and 


HAS  1  ENS   TO  STAY  REVENGE.  6l 

writing  in  a  hurry,  by  the  aid  of  a  dim  ship's  lantern, 
allows  me  to  produce  a  most  miserable  scribble,  I 
am  besides  all  the  while  tormented  with  countless 
mosquitoes  and  other  insects  ;  while  the  hyenas  are 
smelling  the  oxen,  and  growling  all  about.  1  have 
my  Winchester  repeater  lying  by  me,  ready  for  any 
friendly  visit  from  such  denizens  of  the  forest." 

Mackay  now  hears  of  the  murder  of  Lieut.  Smith 
and  Mr.  O'Neill,  and  hurries  on  with  all  speed  to  the 
scene  of  the  disaster,  to  prevent  further  bloodshed. 
Courageously  visits  the  murderous  king  of  Ukerewe, 
and  makes  blood-brotherhood  with  him.  Finds  that 
everywhere  "drink  is  the  curse  of  Africa."  Is  ship- 
wrecked off  Buzongora,  and  pays  a  beautiful  tribute 
to  Stanley,  of  whom  he  was  ever  a  great  admirer. 

"Mpwapwa,  March,  1878. 
"I  wrote  last  month  what  information  I  had  as  to 
the  death  of  our  two  excellent  fellows  at  Ukerewe. 
Of  course  I  have  not  received  any  more  informa- 
tion, but  I  hope  soon  to  meet  Morton,  who  I  hear 
is  on  the  way  down,  in  charge  of  a  caravan  of  ivory 
belonging  to  Mirambo,  and  he  in  all  probability  has 
heard  more  particulars  than  have  yet  come  to  hand. 
At  all  events,  the  statement  that  he  thinks  Lkonge, 
the  chief  of  Ukerewe,  should  be  punished,  and  that 
Mtesa  intended  sending  a  fleet  of  1,000  canoes  to  do 
so,  makes  me  feel  that  I  cannot  be  too  soon  on  the 
spot  to  do  what  I  can  to  stop  any  such  action  being 
taken.     Revenge  would  not  help  the  matter  in  the 


63  ON   THE   ROAD. 


slightest — at  any  rate,  for  the  good  of  the  mission 
The  British  Government  could  not  do  anything 
except  at  a  cost  of  millions  of  money  and  many  lives. 
I  mean  to  get  outsiders,  like  Mtesa  and  Mirambo  and 
the  Arabs,  who  seem  all  to  be  vowing  vengeance 
against  Lkongc,  first  to  rest  quiet,  and  then  to  try,  by 
deputation  or  otherwise,  to  make  peace  and  renew 
terms  of  friendship  with  the  king  of  Ukerevve. 

"The  matter  will  be  one  requiring  careful  diplo- 
macy ;  but  I  hope  to  be  guided  rightly  by  Him  who 
alone  rules  over  all,  and  who  moves  the  heart  of 
kings  as  He  sees  best  for  His  own  glory. 

"  The  martyrdom  of  our  two  brothers  may  be  the 
beginning  of  brighter  days  for  the  whole  of  the  lands 
round  Lake  Victoria  Nyanza  ;  but  it  will,  I  fear,  be 
at  the  cost  of  many  lives  and  much  money  that  any 
real  benefit  will,  even  in  time,  be  conferred  on  this 
great  continent,  which  seems  to  withstand  the  most 
determined  attempts  to  do  it  good." 

''April,  1878. 

"The  great  chief  of  Mvumi  was  afraid  to  allow  the 
white  man  to  sleep  in  his  tembe,  in  case  I  should 
have  some  designs  on  his  valuable  life  ;  but  the  small 
chief  at  Mtamburu  invited  me  cordially  to  share  his 
filthy  hut,  which  was  one  and  the  same  with  the  cow- 
byre  and  sheep-cote.  I  was  only  too  glad  to  avail 
myself  even  of  such  a  hole  ;  for  towards  dark  a  band 
of  roving  W'ahehe  turned  up,  and,  after  performing 
a  war-dance  in  front  of  the  tembe,  quietly  demanded 
an  ox  from  the  owner,  which  he,  of  course,  had  as 


A  DOUBTFUL  SALUTE.  63 

quietly  to  give.  From  me  they  demanded  something 
small.  I  showed  them  the  contents  of  a  bale  which 
seemed  to  take  their  fancy,  but  when  they  saw  it  was 
only  some  books  and  papers,  they  declined  a  gift 
of  that  sort.  A  yard  of  merikani,  strange  to  say, 
satisfied  them  ;  at  least,  on  their  chief  receiving  it, 
they  all  got  up,  and  drew  themselves  up  in  line,  some 
ten  paces  in  front  of  where  I  was  sitting  on  the  ground 
outside.  They  were  each  armed  with  a  huge  shield 
of  hide,  painted  white,  red,  and  blue  ;  and  their  weapons 
were  spears — some  half-dozen  seemed  behind  each 
shield — and  bow  and  arrow.  As  they  prepared  to 
salute  in  the  form  of  a  charge,  it  was  impossible  to 
know  if  their  action  was  hostile  or  friendly.  To  have 
moved  my  hand  towards  my  double-barrelled  rifle, 
lying  by,  would  have  led  to  instant  bloodshed  ;  but 
I  sat  unmoved,  when,  with  spears  in  position,  they 
made  a  simultaneous  spring,  and  kneeled  behind 
their  huge  shields  in  a  semicircle  close  round  me.  A 
moment  they  rested  thus,  and  the  next  they  laid 
their  shields  face  downwards,  and  their  arms  on  the 
top,  and  made  obeisance  in  the  politest  fashion.  No 
united  action  on  the  part  of  trained  soldiers  could 
have  been  more  perfect,  and  I  saluted  them  in  return, 
only  glad  that  all  this  demonstration  was  mere  play. 
They  then  left,  taking  with  them  the  ox,  and,  after 
laying  hands  on  several  more  cattle  belonging  to  the 
adjoining  tembes,  settled  down  in  an  old  Wanyamwezi 
camp  near  by.  They  gave  us  to  understand  that  they 
were  waiting  to  be  joined  by  a  large  number  more 


64  ON   THE   ROAD. 


of  their  tribe,  when  they  were  going  away  north  to 
Usukuma  to  fight  and  plunder. 

"The  heavy  rain  penetrated  the  flat,  earth-covered 
roof,  and  turned  the  place  into  a  sea  of  liquid  manure, 
and  thus  I  had  to  lie  in  misery  till  morning. 

"I  have  been  eating  thick  porridge  of  mivere,  and 
sometimes  mtania,  which  is  rather  more  palatable, 
ever  since  the  thieves  took  a  fancy  to  my  small  stock 
of  biscuit.  Mwere  tastes  like  sawdust  and  ashes,  but 
that  one  gets  even  to  like  it  in  time,  were  there  not 
always  a  large  per  cent,  of  sand  amongst  the  meal, 
due  probably  to  the  rude  method  of  grinding  the 
grain. 

"  It  is  when  one  must  live  from  day  to  day  depen- 
dent on  what  food  one  can  buy  on  the  road  that  one 
learns  to  pray  in  earnest,  'Give  us  this  day  our  daily 
bread.'  A  fowl  is  often  to  be  had  with  the  grain  ; 
but  it  is  sometimes  trying,  after  a  long  day's  march, 
to  have  first  to  look  for  food,  then  wait  to  have  the 
grain  pounded  and  cooked,  especially  when  one  is 
hungry.  Firewood  has  to  be  found,  and  near  villages, 
that  is  generally  scarce,  while  what  can  be  called 
drinking-water  has  to  be  fetched  from  a  distance. 
Breakfast  and  dinner  must  then  generally  run  into 
one  meal,  which,  being  eaten  towards  evening,  serves 
for  supper  also. 

"  But  then  there  is  the  psalm,  '  The  lion's  young 
may  hungry  be,'  etc.  ;  and  as  that  is  true,  it  is  also 
true  that  I  have  never  wanted  any  day  yet,  and  feel 
sure  that  I  never  will." 


BADLY  COOKED  FOOD.  65 

"Uyui,  2nd  May,  1878. 

"From  Mpwapwa  to  this  took  me  a  whole  month's 
tramping.  Very  much  of  the  road  was  through 
marsh,  the  rainy  season  being  just  over,  and  many 
days' wading  was  promotive  of  neither  comfort  nor 
pleasure.  Between  eating  coarse  and  badly  cooked 
food  and  constant  wettings,  I  had  to  halt  for  a  day  or 
two  in  the  middle  of  a  hundred  miles  jungle,  to  dose 
myself,  as  I  found  that  any  amount  of  Dover's  powder 
and  camphor  was  of  no  avail  so  long  as  I  continued 
marching.  But  rest  gave  nature  fair  play,  and  I  soon 
recovered,  and  made  a  determined  resolution  to  eat 
no  more  food  unless  I  saw  it  well  cooked  first.  Every 
day  porridge  of  mtaina,  or  maize,  and  no  alternative, 
one  would  think  tedious  at  best  ;  but  it  is  when  one 
gets  sick,  and  the  stomach  gets  tender,  and  loathes 
all  food,  that  a  few  ounces  of  wheaten  flour  would  be 
welcome,  and  would  be  of  priceless  value.  But  my 
small  stock  of  biscuit  had  been  stolen,  as  I  told  you 
before,  and  rice  was  nowhere  to  be  had.  Telling  my 
boy  a  score  of  times  to  boil  the  porridge  well,  seemed 
to  no  purpose.  So  I  mixed  thin  gruel  of  the  maize 
meal,  and  sat  over  the  pot  till  it  boiled  itself  into  a 
jelly.  This  I  continued  to  do  day  after  day,  and 
saved  my  life. 

"  I  do  believe  native  food  would  suit  Europeans 
well  enough  if  only  properly  cooked.  But  the  natives 
are  too  greedy  to  cook.  The  food  must  be  nearly  as 
soon  out  of  the  pot  as  into  it.  Nor  are  they  by  any 
means   exempt   from    evil    consequences  from    their 

A.  M.  M.  5 


66  ON  THE  ROAD. 


gluttony.  Every  day  my  stock  of  medicine  is  sadly 
taxed  by  hosts  of  invalids,  whose  chief  ailments  are 
dyspepsia  and  its  attendants. 

"  Here  I  am  the  guest  of  Said  bin  Salim,  Governor 
of  Unyanyembe.  Three  months  ago  this  old  man 
was  deposed  without  reason  or  notice,  and  has  had  to 
take  refuge  here  in  Uyui,  some  seven  hours  from 
Taborah.  He  says  the  reason  of  his  ejectment  from 
office  is,  that  he  has  recently  entertained  several 
Englishmen  in  his  house  ;  and  the  other  Arabs  are 
jealous  accordingly.  They  say  that  Englishmen  only 
come  to  stop  their  trade  in  slaves,  and  desire  to 
thwart  our  progress  to  the  utmost  in  consequence ; 
while  Said  bin  Salim  is  willing,  to  some  extent  at 
least,  to  act  up  to  the  terms  of  our  treaty  with  the 
Sultan  of  Zanzibar.  As  yet  no  v/ord  has  come  from 
the  coast,  as  to  whether  Said  Burgash  will  stand  by 
his  old  non-slaving  governor,  or  bolster  up  the  new 
Liwaleh — Abdullah  bin  Nassib,  commonly  called 
Kisessa. 

"  I  could  write  many  pages  of  what  I  have  seen  in 
the  last  month,  and  how  I  have  found  enormous 
tracts  of  country  but  recently  devastated  by  merciless 
slavers. 

"  Arab  caravans  with  tons  of  ivory  *  are  moving 

'  "  Every  tusk,  piece,  and  scrap  of  ivory  in  the  possession  of 
an  Arab  trader  has  been  steeped  and  dyed  in  blood.  Every 
pound  weight  has  cost  the  life  of  a  man,  woman,  or  child  ;  for 
every  five  pounds  a  hut  has  been  burned ;  for  every  two  tusks  a 
whole  village  has  been  destroyed  ;  every  twenty  tusks  have  been 


IVORY,   BLACK  AND    WHITE.  67 

down  to  the  coast  now  ;  and  each  has,  as  a  supple- 
ment, a  string  of  living  little  ones  trotting  on  with 
necks  linked  together,  to  be  disposed  of  to  the  highest 
bidder  at  the  coast. 

"  I  hear  that  Mshamgama,  Mtagamoyo,  and  others, 
are  vigorously  prosecuting  their  slaving  raids  at 
Manyema,  while  the  traffic  seems  to  go  on  unabated 
here  all  around. 

"  But  what  is  the  use  of  writing  about  such  matters  ? 
There  are  a  few  gunboats  on  the  coast,  and  our  naval 
nation  rests  there  satisfied.  But  there  is  an  ignorance 
of  doings  here  which  is  not  bliss.  But  will  wise 
England  remove  the  curse  ? " 

"Kagei,  Victoria  Nyanza, 

''()thjufy,  1878. 
"  I  should  like  much  to  write  a  detailed  account  of 
my  time  since  I  turned  my  back  on  that  most  un- 
pleasant of  places — Unyanyembe,  but  time  forbids.  I 
am  sending,  of  course,  to  the  C.M.S.  a  report  of  the 
most  important  part — my  visit  to  the  island  of  Uke- 

obtained  at  the  price  of  a  district,  with  all  its  people,  villages, 
and  plantations.  It  is  simply  incredible  that,  because  ivory  is 
required  for  ornaments  or  billiard  games,  the  rich  heart  of 
Africa  should  be  laid  waste  at  this  late  year  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  signalized,  as  it  has  been,  by  so  much  advance,  that 
populations,  tribes,  and  nations  should  be  utterly  destroyed 
Whom,  after  all,  does  this  bloody  seizure  of  ivory  enrich  ?  Only 
a  few  dozens  of  half-castes,  Arab  and  negro,  who,  if  due  justice 
were  dealt  to  them,  should  be  made  to  sweat  out  the  remainder 
•of  their  piratical  lives  in  the  severest  penal  servitude." — "  Ih 
Darkest  AfricaP 


68  ON  THE   ROAD. 


rewe,  where  Lieut.  Smith  and  O'Meill  were  murdered 
so  recently  ;  and  probably  you  will  see  some  notes 
of  it  in  the  monthly  Intelligencer. 

"  By-and-by,  when  my  journal  reaches  London,  you 
will  get  some  reading  that  may  a   little  interest  you. 

"  It  is  but  fair  that  the  good  friends  of  Central 
Africa  should  receive  at  least  some  account  of  the 
work  they  have  at  heart,  and  for  which  thej'  give  of 
their  means  ;  and  I  do  endeavour  to  keep  a  note  from 
day  to  day  of  our  progress,  that  I  may  from  time  to 
time  send  to  headquarters  a  short  report ;  but  es- 
sential as  that  part  of  my  work  is,  it  is  nevertheless 
the  one  I  always  feel  most  reluctance  in  fulfilling. 
Speke  used  to  say  he  would  rather  walk  across  Africa 
again  than  write  an  account  of  his  first  journey.  For 
myself,  I  would  rather  travel  a  hundred  days  in  this 
unsettled  country  than  set  my  mind  to  report  the 
events  of  one  single  day.  The  reason  may  be  lazi- 
ness, nevertheless  the  fact  is  such. 

"  It  was  on  the  evening  of  Thursday,  13th  June, 
that  I  reached  the  village  of  Kagei,  on  the  southern 
shore  of  the  famous  Nyanza.  From  Unyanyembe 
I  had  tramped  some  250  miles  in  a  northerly  direc- 
tion, but  in  a  line  very  far  from  true  to  the  meridian. 
One  day  east,  another  west,  and  then  a  few  days  due 
north,  we  held  on  our  way  through  sandy  deserts, 
across  swampy  plains,  and  over  miles  of  maize  and 
plantations  of  pumpkins,  making  for  friendly  tribes 
and  avoiding  the  more  hostile  ones,  as  a  mariner* 
would    steer   his   course   in  a  dangerous   and    rockv 


THE  NYANZA   AT  LAST.  69 

channel.  But  so  unsettled  is  the  country,  and  so  little 
obedience  to  the  sixth  and  eighth  commandments  in 
general  prevails  among  the  barbarous  tribes,  that 
even  by  picking  our  steps  we  could  not  help  at  times 
falling  into  the  hands  of  these  truly  uncircumcised 
Philistines — the  Wanyamwezi. 

"  On  the  evening  before  reaching  Kagei,  I  had 
reached  a  point  from  which  a  first  glimpse  could  be 
had  of  the  noble  lake.  As  eagerly  as  ever  the  ten 
thousand  Greeks  shouted  QdXaaaa !  ©aXaaaa  !  in  the 
immortal  Anabasis  of  Xenophon,  did  I  gaze  on  the 
silvery  sea,  and  thank  God  that  now  I  was  near  the 
Nyanza  at  last.  For  had  I  not  been  two  years  and 
more  on  the  way  from  the  coast  to  Kagei,  and  now  an 
end  to  miserable  marching  was  come,  at  least  for  a 
time.?  Had  not  my  companions  succumbed  to  the 
climate  one  by  one,  and  even  reinforcements  failed  ? 
now  I  was  here  alone  to  hold  the  fort  till  better  days 
should  dawn. 

"  Our  store  here  has  been  in  the  hands  of  servants 
— freed  slaves  and  runaway  slaves  of  Zanzibar — who 
have  plundered  from  our  stuff  all  they  considered 
valuable,  and  what  they  have  left  they  have  sadly 
spoiled.  Confusion  worse  confounded  was  the  state 
I  found  everything  in. 

"In  a  huge  hut,  lent  us  by  Kaduma,  the  chief  of 
the  place,  I  found  all  that  was  left  of  the  valuable 
property  of  the  expedition,  except  such  articles  as 
'have  been  already  taken  to  Uganda.  Piled  in  heaps 
promiscuously   lay    boiler    shells    and   books,   cowrie 


70  ON  THE  ROAD. 


shells  and  candle  moulds,  papers  and  piston  rods, 
steam  pipes  and  stationery,  printers'  types  and  tent 
poles,  carbolic  acid,  cartridges,  and  chloroform,  saws 
and  garden  seeds,  travelling  trunks  and  toys,  tins  of 
bacon  and  bags  of  clothes,  pumps  and  ploughs,  port- 
able forges  and  boiler  fittings — here  a  cylinder,  there 
its  sole  plate,  here  a  crank-shaft,  there  an  eccentric. 
Despair  might  well  be  found  written  on  my  features 
as  I  sat  down  after  my  two  years'  march  to  rest  and 
look  round  on  the  terrible  arrangement. 

"Ten  days'  hard  work  from  dawn  to  dusk  made  me 
give  a  look  round  the  same  hut  with  much  greater 
satisfaction  than  when  I  first  gazed  on  the  scene. 
The  rain-gauge  is  no  more  full  of  rats'  dung^,  nor  does 
a  boiler-shell  contain  books.  The  engines  for  our 
steamer  stand  complete  to  the  last  screw,  the  boiler  is 
ready  to  be  riveted,  tools  and  types  have  separate 
boxes,  and  rust  and  dust  are  thrown  out  of  doors.  It 
seems  to  me  more  than  a  miracle  how  much  remains 
entire  of  the  really  admirable  outfit  which  the  able 
directors  of  the  C.M.S.  supplied  us  with  when  we  left 
England.  It  reflects  the  very  highest  credit  on  Lieut. 
Smith,  and  those  who  travelled  with  him,  that,  amid 
the  most  trying  difficulties  of  every  step  of  so  long  a 
journey,  they  were  successful  in  bringing  here  so  many 
articles  of  value.  When  it  is  remembered  that  every 
article  had  to  be  cut  and  broken  up  into  parts  at 
the  coast,  so  that  nothing  should  exceed  a  man's 
load  of  70  lbs.,  and  now  I  find  almost  everything 
complete,    even    to   its    smallest    belonging,    after  a 


REPAIRS    THE   "DAISY."  ^l 

tedious  transport  of  over  700  miles,  we  may  so  far 
consider  the  expedition  a  success,  and  the  blessing 
on  our  efforts  to  this  point  an  earnest  of  the  much 
more  we  hope  to  follow. 

"  The  Daisy,  which  was  brought  in  segments  from 
the  coast,  but  which  arrived  much  shattered,  was  re- 
built by  Mr.  O'Neill,  and  has  already  been  of  great 
service  on  the  lake.  But  her  days  are  almost  done. 
I  find  her  in  sad  condition — not  a  plank  sound.  What 
the  teeth  of  the  hippopotamus  spared  in  the  survey  of 
Jordan's  nullah,  the  rays  of  the  sun  have  split,  and  the 
parts  sheltered  from  them  have  fallen  a  prey  to 
another  formidable  foe — white  ants,  as  the  vessel  lay 
on  the  beach  at  Kagei. 

"  Day  after  day  I  have  been  patching  the  planks 
and  caulking  the  leaks,  sprawling  on  the  ground 
below  the  vessel,  with  hammer  and  chisel  in  hand, 
and  crowds  of  naked  natives  eagerly  gazing-  at  the 
white  man  mending  his  big  canoe.  Plates  of  copper 
and  sheets  of  zinc  and  lead,  with  nails  and  screws  and 
cotton  wool  (which,  by  the  way,  grows  here  plenti- 
fully in  the  wild  state,  while  even  a  little  is  cultivated 
by  the  natives  to  make  strings  for  their  beads)  ;  these, 
with  oil,  will,  I  hope,  however,  enable  me  to  make  a 
safe  passage  to  Uganda,  and  still  leave  us  in  command 
of  this  mighty  inland  sea  till  more  of  us  are  together, 
and  we  get  time  to  build  a  stronger,  better  boat,  for 
which  we  have  the  necessary  steam  power. 

"  The  people  of  Kagei  are  Wasukuma,  the  largest 
branch  of  the  great  race  of   Watiyamweziy  and  their 


72  ON   THE  ROAD. 


language  but  a  dialect  of  that  spoken  by  the  people 
all  around  Unyanycinbe.  I  like  the  people  here 
much.  They  are  all  friends  with  me,  and  I  am  friends 
with  all.  When  they  see  the  turning  lathe  at  work, 
^  or  find  me  melting  down  the  fat  of  an  ox  and  turning 
out  beautiful  candles,  their  wonder  knows  no  bounds. 
Of  an  incongruous  mass  of  bars  of  iron  and  brass  and 
bolts,  they  could  not  guess  the  use  of,  they  have  seen 
me  fit  together  one  and  another  complete  steam 
engine,  and  various  other  things  which  looked  so 
marvellous,  that  again  and  again  I  have  heard  the 
remark  that  white  men  came  from  heaven.  Then  I 
teach  this  and  that  more  intelligent  fellow  the  use  of 
various  things,  and  try  to  impress  upon  all  a  truth  I 
find  them  very  slow  to  believe — that  they  themselves 
can  easily  learn  to  know  everything  that  white  men 
know,  I  tell  them  that  we  were  once  naked  savages 
like  themselves,  and  carried  bows  and  arrows  and 
spears  ;  but  when  God  began  to  teach  us,  we  became 
civilized. 

"  Round  comes  Sunday,  when  tools  are  dropped, 
and  the  reason  asked  '  Why  .-' '  I  have  my  Bible,  and 
tell  that  it  is  God's  book,  and  He  commanded  the 
day  of  rest.  Many  know  a  little  of  Suahili,  which  is,. 
in  fact,  closely  allied  to  their  own  language  ;  and  in 
that  tongue  I  find  many  an  opportunity  to  teach  the 
simplest  truths  of  revealed  religion,  especially  how 
God  has  come  down  among  men.  This  '  great  mys- 
tery of  godliness  '  is  the  astounding  story  to  them  ; 
and  many  I  find  eager  to  learn  to  read  that  they  may 


LOVE   OF   TEACHING.  73 

know  the  book  which  I  say  God    Himself  wrote  for 
men. 

"  With  the  children  I  am  on  the  best  of  terms.  At 
all  times  I  find  myself  surrounded  by  a  host  of  little 
boys,  eager  to  help  me  in  anything,  it  being  a  special 
honour  to  be  asked  to  bring  a  live  coal  to  light  my 
pipe. 

"  More  than  ever  I  am  longing  for  the  day  when 
the  necessary  rough  work  of  pioneering  will  be  done, 
and  I  can  settle  down  to  spend  every  day  in  teaching 
the  little  ones.  I  cannot  think  the  day  far  distant 
when  I  shall  see  my  daily  school  for  these  children, 
and  watch  them  grow  in  wisdom  and  understanding, 
and  in  the  fear  of  God.  Such  a  class  I  dream  I  see 
a  nucleus  of  a  training  college,  which  shall  furnish 
manifold  seeds  of  life  in  place  of  the  units  which  we 
white  men  must  ever  be  in  Africa.  Of  these  will 
some  be  trained  for  the  work  of  the  ministry,  and  the 
day  arrive  when  a  Msukuma  will  be  Bishop  of  Un- 
yamwezi,  and  a  Muganda  primate  of  all  Nyanza  1 

"But  much  soil  must  first  be  turned  up,  and  a  deal 
of  what  may  be  called  dirty  work  done,  and  many 
weeds  rooted  out  before  the  good  seed  be  cast  in 
with  success,  and  then  we  know  for  certain  that  some 
will  bring  forth  a  hundred-fold.  If  we  sow  before  we 
plough,  we  sow  by  the  wayside,  or  on  stones,  or 
among  thorns  ;  and  the  devil,  the  flesh,  and  the  world 
are,  here  as  everywhere  else,  ready  respectively  to 
deny  a  harvest. 

"  Lieut.  Smith   wrote  me  from  Kagei,  on  Dec.  5th, 


74  ON  THE   ROAD. 


that  he  and  O'Neill  were  starting  that  day  foi 
Uganda,  and  this  is  the  last  news  I  have  from  my 
good  and  brave  brethren.  What  befell  them  after 
that  we  know  only  from  such  of  their  men  as  survived 
the  fatal  battle,  which  seems  to  have  followed  only  a 
few  days  after.  Somehow  or  other  they  had  to  go  to 
Ukerewe  again,  and  had  sent  away  the  boat  with 
their  interpreter.  While  waiting  his  return,  Lkonge 
appeared  with  a  large  force  and  attacked  Songoro,  an 
Arab  (or  rather  half-caste)  slaver,  who  had  a  lot  of 
slaves  with  him.  Songoro,  on  being  wounded,  ran 
for  protection  to  where  Lieut.  Smith  and  O'Neill  were 
standing  with  only  some  half-dozen  men.  Lkonge 
demanded  them  to  give  up  the  Arab,  and  on  their 
refusal  he  and  his  warriors  fell  on  our  party  and  slew 
them  all.  Songoro  also  and  twenty-three  of  his  men 
were  slain. 

"  Thus  ended  this  fearful  massacre,  the  cause  of 
which  was  a  heathen  chief's  determination  to  revenge 
the  double-dealings  of  a  Mohammedan  slave-dealer. 
The  two  servants  of  the  Cross  who  were  slain  in  his 
defence  fell  in  the  discharge  of  duty  as  men  to  a 
fellow-man,  and  in  obedience  to  the  Christian  law  of 
love.  But  right  is  right,  since  God  is  God ;  and  the 
Lord  will  be  avenged  of  the  death  of  His  servants, 
whose  blood  cries  from  the  ground  to  the  Church  of 
Christ  to  speedily  repair  the  breaches  in  our  number, 
and  send  many  men  to  Ukerewe  to  teach  the  mur- 
derers the  way  of  the  forgiveness  of  sins.  It  is  God 
alone  who  can  turn  good  out  of  evil  ;  and  though  in 


A   PEACEMAKER.  75 

this  matter  we  think  He  has  moved  in  a  mysterious 
way,  and  gathered  a  dark  cloud  over  our  hopes  in  the 
dawn  of  Christian  days  on  Victoria  Nyanza,  yet  after 
sorrow  joy  shall  come,  and  the  gloomy  cloud  will 
break  with  blessings  on  the  heads  of  the  dark  heathen 
of  Africa 

"  At  Unyanyembe  and  Uyui,  I  of  course  found  one 
prevailing  feeling  among  the  Arabs — of  revenge,  not 
tor  the  death  of  the  Englishmen,  of  which  I  believe 
tiiey  are  very  glad,  but  for  that  of  Songoro,  While 
they  vowed  vengeance  on  the  head  of  Lkonge,  the 
king  of  Ukerewe,  they  were  either  too  cowardly  or 
too  weak  in  arms  to  execute  their  purpose.  Surprised, 
indeed,  they  were  when  I  told  them  that  I  meant  no 
revenge  on  Lkonge's  head,  that  I  was  a  man  of  Isa 
(Jesus),  whose  followers,  unlike  those  of  Islam,  did  not 
avenge  wrongs,  but  rather  forgave  them. 

**  By  the  Ukerewe  men  whom  I  found  here,  I  sent 
a  message  to  their  king  saying  I  had  arrived  at  Kagei, 
and  should  be  glad  of  a  conference  with  him  ;  that  if 
he  was  afraid  to  come  to  me,  I  was  not  afraid  to  go 
to  him.  If  he  feared  I  would  shoot  him,  I  should  leave 
my  rifle  and  revolver  here ;  and  instead  of  taking  my 
own  boat  and  servants,  of  whom  he  might  be  afraid, 
I  asked  him  to  send  a  good  canoe  with  his  own  men 
for  me. 

"  After  a  week  or  so  the  canoe  arrived  with  a  depu- 
tation, consisting  of  the  king's  uncle,  who  is  prime 
minister,  and  a  dozen  of  Lkonge's  head  men.  They 
begged  me  to  go  to   Ukerewe  with  them.     To   test 


76  ON   THE  ROAD. 


their  candour,  I  asked  that  the  head  of  the  deputation 
be  detained  here  as  security  for  my  life  till  I  should 
return  safely.  But  he  was  too  important  a  councillor 
to  be  absent  in  my  talk  with  the  king.  I  then  asked 
that  not  less  than  three  of  the  others  should  remain 
as  hostages.  This  was  at  last,  after  much  talk,  agreed 
to.  As  from  this  I  saw  they  meant  me  no  evil,  I  said 
I  would  not  demand  the  pledge  ;  so  I  embarked  in 
their  canoe,  and  we  all  set  off  gladly  together.  My 
own  men  strongly  urged  me  not  to  risk  my  life  by 
going  to  Ukerevve,  as  they  were  sure  Lkonge  meant 
to  kill  me,  as  he  had  done  Lieut.  Smith  and  O'Neill. 
When  they  saw,  however,  that  I  was  determined  to 
go,  they  begged  me  not  to  ask  them  to  accompany 
me,  as  they  were  too  afraid  to  go.  I  told  them  that 
I  had  not  the  slightest  intention  of  taking  tliem,  say- 
ing I  knew  they  were  cowards  ;  and  if  an  attempt  were 
made  to  kill  me,  they  would  all  run  away  and  leave 
me  to  my  fate.  My  main  reason,  however,  I  did  not 
give  them  ;  viz.,  that  I  did  not  wish  to  go  with  any 
show  of  force. 

"  Putting  my  house  in  order  in  case  of  accident,  and 
taking  in  my  pocket  a  few  doses  of  quinine  for  {it\(t\\ 
Dover's  powder  for  dysentery,  and  some  sulphate  of 
zinc  in  case  I  should  require  an  emetic,  Lkonge  being 
known  as  a  poisoner,  I  left  for  Ukerewe  as  I  have 
said,  leaving  my  arms  behind.  Kaduma  sent  with 
me  a  man  who  knew  the  language  of  Ukerewe  well, 
and  a  little  Suahili — my  language  ;  and  he  acted  as 
interpreter  throughout. 


LKONGE'S  STORY.  77 

"  With  I.konge  I  had  repeated  meetings — on  the 
whole  of  a  satisfactory  nature.  I  learned — what  I  had 
gathered  in  scraps  from  various  quarters  before,  and 
had  reason  to  believe — that  he  and  his  people  had  no 
desire  to  kill  the  white  men.  The  Arab  Songoro  had 
played  a  false  part  with  the  king,  and  was  arrested 
for  debt.  In  trying  to  make  his  escape  with  Smith 
and  O'Neill,  he  was  attacked  by  Lkonge's  men,  when 
he  shot  two  of  them.  The  king  had  given  orders  to 
bring  the  white  men  to  his  house,  that  no  harm  should 
come  to  them  in  the  fight  with  Songoro.  Either  they 
did  not  comprehend  the  intention  of  the  men  who 
came  to  take  them  to  Lkonge's,  or  they  suspected 
the  king's  orders  conveyed  treachery.  At  all  events 
Songoro  persuaded  them  to  fight  with  and  for  him  ; 
and  Mr.  O'Neill  especially  did  dreadful  damage  with 
his  rifle,  the  Wakerewe  themselves  confessing  that  he 
killed  ten  men  and  wounded  more  than  thirty  others, 
who  are  to  this  day  not  recovered.  At  length  ammu- 
nition failed,  and  their  boat  having  gone  away  con- 
trary to  orders,  no  means  was  left  of  escape,  and  my 
dear  friends  fell. 

"  I  told  the  king  I  believed  his  story,  and  had  come 
a  long  way  to  hear  it,  that  I  might  write  it  down  and 
send  the  news  to  England.  I  said  I  could  not  make 
any  promise  as  to  what  the  Queen  of  England  would 
say  or  do,  but  that  for  myself  I  was  come  in  a  friendly 
way.  I  asked  him  if  he  wished  me  to  bring  two  of 
my  white  brothers  to  his  island  to  teach  his  people 
to  read  and  write  and  know  the  Word   of  God.     He 


78  ON  THE  ROAD. 


begged  me  to  do  so,  asking  if  God  had  come  down 
amongst  us.  I  told  him  He  had,  and  that  we  would 
teach  him  what  God  taught  us.  P)Ut  I  warned  him  a 
second  time  not  to  mix  up  white  men  with  Arabs, 
lest  they  might  get  killed,  and  our  Queen  might  send 
a  few  field-pieces  against  him,  and  he  would  lose,  not 
only  his  houses,  but  his  head  also.  I  told  him  the 
terrible  tale  of  Abyssinia  and  Ashantee,  and  was 
struck  with  the  very  attentive  ear  he  gave  to  my 
narrative  (he  understands  a  little  Suahili  himself). 

"My  stay  ended  by  my  giving  him  a  present  of  a 
dressing-gown,  and  our  slaying  a  goat  between  us, 
thereby  sealing  the  African  bond  of  blood  brother- 
hood. 

"  All  the  time  I  was  away  I  lived  on  the  king's 
bounteous  hospitality;  and  after  a  nine  days'  absence 
I  returned  here,  much  to  the  shame  and  confusion  of 
my  unfaithful  followers,  and  was  greeted  on  landing 
with  universal  shouts  of  joy  on  the  part  of  the  natives, 
the  women  dancing  madly  on  the  beach,  foremost 
among  them  being  the  head  wife  of  Prince  Kaduma, 
arrayed,  specially  for  the  occasion,  with  so  great  a 
load  of  beads  that  I  could  but  wonder  how  she  could 
dance  at  all. 

"  Poor  old  Kaduma  himself  was  holding  a  high  da\' 
with  pombe  (native  beer),  and  made  the  occasion  one 
on  which  to  stay  longer  over  his  pot  than  usual. 

"  Oh,  how  often  will  I  enter  in  my  journal,  as  I  [)as-; 
through  many  tribes,  'Drink  is  the  curse  of  Africa.' 
Uscguha,    Usagara,    Ugogo,    Unyamwezi,   Usukuma, 


DRINK,    THE   CURSE   OF  AFRICA.  79 

Ukerewe,  and  Uganda  too — go  where  you  will,  you 
will  find  every  week,  and,  when  grain  is  plentiful, 
every  night,  every  man,  woman,  and  child,  even  to 
sucking  infants,  are  reeling  with  the  effects  of  alcohol. 
On  this  account  chiefly  I  became  a  teetotaler  on 
leaving  the  coast,  and  have  continued  so  ever  since. 
I  believe  also  that  abstinence  is  the  true  secret  of 
continued  and  unimpaired  health  in  the  tropics. 

"  Who  wishes  to  introduce  civilization  into  Africa  ? 
Let  a  sine  qiid  non  of  the  enterprise  be,  that  its  mem- 
bers be  total  abstainers.  The  West  Coast  is  ruined 
with  rum  ;  it  is  killing  the  Kaffir  in  the  South ;  and 
even  on  the  East  Coast,  at  Zanzibar,  a  vile  liquor  is 
distilled  from  the  sugar-cane  at  Kokoto-ni,  that  is 
retailed  by  every  ?Iindu,  Banyan,  and  Goa  merchant 
in  all  the  Coast  towns,  to  the  destruction  of  the  Sua- 
hili  race. 

"  The  Wanika  tap  the  cocoa-nut  tree  and  sip  its 
juice  with  straws,  till  every  village  I  passed  through, 
even  in  early  morning,  seemed  a  pandemonium.  In- 
land the  grains  are  used  to  produce  the  ferment. 
Matama,  or  panicum,  is  the  general  malt ;  but  failing 
that,  Indian  corn,  and  a  small  millet  called  viavere, 
are  called  into  requisition,  the  strength  being  often 
increased  by  the  addition  of  honey.  On  the  shores 
of  Nyanza  plantains  are  plentiful,  and  from  them  a 
wine  is  made,  which  causes  king  and  people  to  meet 
on  the  low  level  of  intoxication, 

"  I  cannot  say  how  long  I  shall  be  detained  in 
Uganda  ;  but  I  hope  in  less  than  a  month  to  be  on  the 


8o  ON  THE   ROAD. 


way  back  to  Uyui,  to  meet  the  three  Englishmen  who 
are,  I  expect,  by  this  time  well  on  the  way  inland  to 
join  our  mission.  But  it  is  day  by  day  in  Central 
Africa ;  and  to  make  plans  far  ahead  generally  means 
to  have  them  overturned. 

"  At  Uyui,  last  of  all,  died  my  faithful  companion 
in  all  trials,  '  Bobby.'  Of  our  other  dogs  I  used  to 
say,  none  was  faithful  to  his  master  but  Bobby." 

*  Faithful  among  the  faithless  only  he  was  found." 

"  Kagei,  Victoria  Nyanza, 

''4th  Atig.,  1878. 
"  Here  I  am  keeping  watch  at  the  southern  end 
of  the  lake.  Last  full  moon  I  hoped  to  have 
ventured  on  my  first  voyage  across  the  pathless 
Nyanza,  but  God  ordained  otherwise ;  for  just  then 
I  was  seized  with  a  violent  attack  of  remittent  fever, 
followed  by  many  days'  chronic  diarrhoea — my  old 
enemy.  Unfortunately  I  had  no  opiates  to  effect  a 
cure,  while  the  nauseous  remedy  for  dysentery — 
ipecacuanha — failed  in  this  case.  The  Daisy  lay  on 
the  beach  with  repairs  half  finished,  nearly  every 
joint  unsound,  and  her  planks  presenting  fresh  rents 
every  day  under  the  terrible  sun.  My  men  were 
helpless  in  the  way  of  repairing  the  vessel  ;  and  my 
hope  of  getting  away  from  here  seemed  entirely  shut 
off,  as  sickness  reduced  me  to  the  strength  of  an 
infant.  At  length  I  resorted  to  a  native  cure — a 
solution  of  tamarinds — which  by  God's  blessing  set 
me  on  my  legs  again,  and  I  recommenced  work. 


LAUNCHES   THE   ''DAISY."  81 

"  We  launched  the  Daisy,  but  she  proved  as  leaky 
as  a  sieve,  in  spite  of  all  my  patching  ;  while  daily 
gales  and  thunderstorms,  following  the  solstice,  ren- 
dered venturing  to  sea  for  the  time  out  of  the  ques- 
tion. I  therefore  uncoupled  the  aft  section,  which 
was  most  faulty,  anchored  the  other  well  out  in  deep 
water,  and  got  my  friendly  natives  to  carry  the  com- 
partment up  into  the  village,  where,  under  the  shade 
of  a  beautiful  large  fig-tree,  I  have  subjected  the 
vessel  to  a  thorough  repair,  putting  in  new  planks, 
and  otherwise  overhauling  the  whole.  But  no  wood 
was  to  be  found,  there  being  not  a  tree  in  the  whole 
vicinity,  except  a  io^N  fig  and  banana  trees  in  the 
village.  I  got,  however,  a  few  logs  belonging  to  the 
dhow  which  unfortunately  was  wrecked  last  year 
near  this  on  her  maiden  trip  from  Ukerewe.  But 
these  had  to  be  sawn  into  boards — a  no  trifling  task, 
I  fitted  up  a  pit-saw  and  set  to  work ;  but  the  heavy 
end  of  the  operation  had  to  fall  on  myself,  and  I  had 
little  strength  for  it,  as  my  men  have  no  idea  of 
straight,  either  with  head  or  hands.  One  learns  to 
make  the  most  of  a  board  when  purchased  at  the 
expense  of  one's  own  muscles.  That  is  now  over, 
and  many  a  copper  nail  driven  in  and  well  riveted, 
and  I  hope  to  connect  the  part  under  repair  with  the 
rest,  and  to  put  to  sea  in  about  a  week. 

"  But  this  lake,  like  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  is  a  sea  of 
storms.  As  a  rule,  the  waters  are  calm  ;  but  very 
frequently,  and  with  no  warning  from  the  barometer, 
sudden  gales  spring  up  and   lash   the   surface   into 

A.  M.  M.  6 


82  ON   THE  ROAD. 


mighty  waves.  True,  these  gusts  of  wind  seldom 
last  long  ;  but  they  will  always  be  a  source  of 
danger  to  us  until  we  make  a  stronger  craft,  for  the 
Daisy  is  too  frail  at  best  to  navigate  such  a  lake. 
Another  source  of  danger  lies  in  the  countless  num- 
ber of  rocks  and  islets,  which  stud  the  water  like  the 
famous  archipelago.  To  the  bargain,  I  have  no 
knowledge  of  sailing, — I  mean  of  handling  sails  ;  nor 
does  any  one  here  profess  the  slightest  acquaintance 
with  the  art.  Among  the  natives  a  sail  is  unknown. 
Canoes  are  everywhere,  generally  scooped  out  of  the 
solid  trunk  of  a  tree,  and  exceedingly  unsafe,  although 
the  Wasoga  and  Baganda  build  larger  sizes  by  sew- 
ing planks  together  with  the  fibre  of  the  banana  tree. 
**  It  is  a  strange  fact,  and  one  which  I  believe  is 
true  of  every  tribe  in  Central  Africa,  that  the  natives 
*  are  absolutely  unacquainted  with  the  art  of  fastening 
two  pieces  of  wood  together,  except  by  lashing.  As 
a  rule,  therefore,  they  prefer  the  laborious  task  of  hew- 
ing everything  out  of  the  solid.  Oars  are  unknown. 
Propulsion  is  by  short  paddles  like  large  wooden 
spoons.  Much  toil  is  therefore  entailed,  but  only 
what  one  might  expect ;  for  no  negro  knows  the  use  of 
the  lever,  or  of  any  other  simple  mechanical  appliance 
by  which  to  save  labour.  In  all  operations,  work  is 
done  by  the  application  of  sheer  brute  force  ;  hence 
the  people  are  everywhere  worn  out  at  an  early  age, 
merely  for  want  of  contrivances.  It  is  really  astonish- 
ing that  an  old  man  or  old  woman  is  scarcely  ever  to 
be  found.     All  are  done  up,  or  worked  out,  in  middle 


J'[/AWS  SAILOR.  83 


life,  and  then  they  die.  It  is  not  that  they  have  no 
metals  with  which  to  make  tools.  Iron  is  nearly  every- 
where, but  only  hoes  and  spears  and  arrow-heads  are 
made  of  it,  and  even  these  are  manufactured  with 
very  great  labour,  and  by  most  primitive  methods. 

"  I  often  think  how  idle  are  all  the  dreams  of  our 
great  savans,  who  would  have  us  believe  that  man  is 
developed  to  the  use  of  metals  from  only  paws  and 
claws,  through  the  stages  of  stone  and  brass  and  iron 
in  succession.  Instruments  of  stone  or  bronze  neither 
are,  nor  ever  were,  used  by  any  savage  tribe  in  this 
interior.  They  began  with  iron,  and  remain  so  to 
this  day,  with  no  vestige  of  progression,  but  traces, 
on  the  contrary,  of  retrogression.  Let  our  so-called 
philosophers,  therefore,  leave  their  kitchen  middens, 
and  flints  of  the  drift,  and  take  a  look  around  the 
wider  sphere  of  this  big  continent,  and  they  will  learn 
to  draw  other  conclusions  from  other  premises. 

"A  little  practice  will,  I  hope,  soon  put  me  up  in 
the  art  of  setting  the  sails  ;  but  much  I  would  give 
for  Lieut.  Smith  back  among  us,  for  here  he  was 
at  home.  As  soon  as  our  new  men  come,  I  hope  to 
knock  together  our  steam  boiler  and  engine  and 
circular  saw,  not  here,  but  in  Uganda,  as  we  can  get 
wood  there  in  plenty,  and  cut  up  timber  for  building 
a  new,  strong  vessel  into  which  said  boiler  and  engine 
shall  go,  and  then  I  hope  we  shall  have  command 
of  the  great  expanse  of  the  Nyanza,  and  be  no  more 
hindered  in  our  work.  A  new  and  accurate  chart  of 
the  lake  will  then  be  a  necessity  to  save  shipwreck  ; 


84  ON  TIJE  ROAD. 


but  its  production  will  be  no  longer  a  matter  of 
difficuUy.  You  will  observe  that  we  have  no  means 
of  accei-s  to  Uganda,  except  by  crossing  the  lake 
from  heie,  as  the  Karague  route  is  closed  by  the 
hostile  Watula,  as  effectually  as  the  direct  route  from 
Mombasa  is  closed  by  the  wild  Masai,  or  Wakivavi, 
as  they  are  called  by  the  people  hereabout.  The 
Nile  route  may  in  time  be  open  ;  but  it  will  ever  at 
best  be  a  tedious  and  dangerous  journey  that  way, 
although  it  may  be  considerably  shortened  by  enter- 
ing at  Berber  from  the  Red  Sea.-  You  will  thus  see 
that  a  good  vessel  is  to  us  of  the  first  importance, 
while  without  such  we  shall  ever  be  prevented  from 
working  among  the  many  tribes  settled  all  round 
the  lake.  We  hope  soon  to  have  stations,  not  only 
in  Uganda,  but  in  Karague,  Ukerewe,  and  here  also  ; 
and  for  communication  between  these  we  must  make 
use  of  our  water  highway. 

"  The  level  of  the  Nyanza  is  a  point  never  yet 
settled,  and  never  will  be,  as  it  is  very  varying.  I 
find  the  lake  has  risen  some  five  or  six  feet  above 
what  it  was  nine  months  ago,  nor  have  I  found  any 
sensible  alteration  in  level  during  the  two  months  I 
have  been  here.  You  may  well  understand  from  that 
fact  that  my  previous  statements  about  the  terribl}^ 
wet  season  this  year  were  not  exaggerated.  It  must 
have  been  no  little  rain  that  caused  a  reservoir  as 
large  as  Scotland  to  rise  and  Diaintain  a  rise  of  five 
or  six  feet  for  months,  notwithstanding  all  that  passes 
through  the  sluice  at  the  Ripon  Falls  every  day. 


TAKES   OBSERVATIONS.  85 

"Yesterday  my  work  was  a  great  centre  of  attraction 
among  the  natives.  I  have  no  ship's  compass,  only 
my  pocket  travelling  one,  which  would  be  rendered 
useless  by  the  oscillation  of  the  vessel.  Accordingly, 
I  set  the  turning  -  lathe  in  motion,  and  fabricated 
gimbals  on  which  the  instrument  can  turn  at  ease. 
As  they  see  the  card  freely  moving  in  the  centre,  it 
looks  as  if  floating,  and  the  universal  explanation  is 
that  it  is  magical  English  water. 

"  I  have  not  here  my  apparatus  for  determining 
heights  by  the  temperature  of  boiling  water,  as  I 
left  it  to  come  with  our  other  goods.  Speke  and 
Stanley  have  both  determined  the  altitude,  or  rather 
different  altitudes,  of  the  lake  by  the  boiling  point  ; 
but  when  my  instrument  arrives,  I  must  do  so 
again.  From  more  than  150  aneroid  observations, 
by  two  instruments  by  different  makers,  taken  many 
times  each  day  over  a  period  of  two  months,  I  find 
by  the  one  aneroid  a  mean  of  3,652  feet,  and  by  the 
other  3,605  feet.  From  this  must  be  deducted  the 
height  of  my  hut  above  the  lake,  which  is  about 
thirty  feet.  Unfortunately  I  have  not  here  my  obser- 
vations taken  at  the  coast  with  these  instruments  to 
find  their  correction  for  sea  level ;  but  when  my 
books  arrive,  I  shall  be  able  to  say  what  must  be 
added  to  or  subtracted  from  the  above  means. 

"  We  have  been  successful  in  carrying  three  empty 
barometer  tubes  here  unbroken,  and  also  a  pot  of 
mercury.  When  I  can  find  time  I  shall  have  them 
mounted  and  filled,  and  then  I  shall  be  able  to  make 


86  ON   THE   ROAD. 


\ 


more  reliable  observations  than  any  which  either  boil- 
ing thermometers  or  aneroids  can  give.  Instruments 
are  so  apt  to  be  broken  or  damaged  here  that  I  am 
always  reluctant  to  take  them  out  for  observation. 
My  aneroids  I  succeeded  in  bringing  safely  here  by 
carrying  them  upon  my  person.  Every  instrument 
which  any  of  our  men  got  to  carry  has  sooner  or  later 
been  rendered  useless.  Burton's  experience  was 
similar,  and  so  was  Speke's,  As  to  watches,  none  of 
our  party  has  been  able  to  carry  a  watch  in  going 
order  for  any  time.  A  final  effort  I  made  by  enclos- 
ing one  in  a  bag  of  goatskin  tightly  sewed,  and  by 
wrapping  it  up  besides  in  a  handkerchief,  making  a 
point  likewise  of  allowing  it  out  of  my  possession  on 
no  consideration,  and  I  am  happy  to  be  able  to  have 
succeeded  in  having  now  here  an  excellent  lever  in 
good  going  order.  If  I  get  it  as  far  as  Uganda  in 
safety,  I  shall  probably  not  remove  it  from  there. 

'*  How  one  must  be  jack-of-all-trades  in  a  country 
where  no  trade  is  known  at  all,  it  is  difficult  to 
imagine  unless  on  the  spot.^  The  natives,  on  the 
other  hand,  expect  the  white  man,  and,  what  is  most 
trying,  the  sajne  white  man,  to  know  everything,  and 
to   be   ready  to   do  any  kind   of  work.     A  few  have 

*  "  It  is  tlie  practical  Christian  tutor  who  can  teach  people 
how  to  become  Christians,  cure  their  diseases,  construct  dwell- 
ings, understand  and  exemplify  agriculture,  turn  his  hand  to 
anything,  like  a  sailor — this  is  the  man  who  is  wanted.  Such  a 
one,  if  he  can  be  found,  would  become  the  saviour  of  Africa." — 
Stanley. 


TURNS  DOCTOR.  87 


guns — old  flint  locks — which  are  nearly  always  out  of 
repair,  and  these,  of  course,  are  brought  to  me  to  mend. 
That  I  am  not  able  to  make  a  fi  sh-hook,  or  a  needle, 
or  any  such  article  at  once  on  demand,  is  not  for  a 
moment  believed.  It  is,  of  course,  simply  that  I  will 
not.  Then  sickness  is  ever  rife,  and  many  complaints 
of  long  standing.  Medicine  must  be  given,  whether  I 
understand  the  case  or  not ;  otherwise  I  am  pronounced 
unkind  and  unmerciful.  If  a  cure  is  effected,  good 
and  well ;  if  the  patient  dies,  it  is  unfortunate,  but 
natural  enough,  for  such  ignorant  people  to  say  that 
my  medicine  was  the  cause  of  death.  I  therefore 
never  volunteer  to  give  medicine,  and  consent  to  try 
a  cure  only  when  sorely  pressed  to  do  so.  One 
great  difficulty  one  has  to  contend  with  in  such 
cases  is,  that  they  always  are  impatient  of  recovery; 
and  if  my  medicine  is  not  effective  at  once,  then  a 
native  cure  is  resorted  to,  which  spoils  the  effect  of 
the  proper  remedy,  and  delays  recovery  further. 
Funny  notions  they  have  of  medicine.  Unless  nasty 
to  the  taste,  a  drug  is  considered  as  of  no  value  ;  hence 
there  is  no  difficulty  in  getting  them  to  quaff  the 
bitterest  draughts.  But  charms  are  valued  as  potent, 
even  in  the  worst  cases,  and  are  always  resorted  to. 
Still  there  is  less  of  that  sort  of  nonsense  here  than 
I  found  nearer  the  coast. 

"The  Wasukumahave  certain,  perhaps  I  should  say 
uncertain,  ideas  of  God ;  still  they  have  notions  in  that 
direction,  although  neither  they  nor  any  of  the  tribes 
I  have  been  among  in   East  Africa  make  or  worship 


ON   THE    ROAD. 


idols.  There  is  a  strangle  contrast  in  this  respect 
between  the  East  and  West  Coasts,  for  on  the  latter 
idolatry  is  everywhere.  Among  the  Waseguha  and 
Wasagara  and  Wadoi,  all  further  east  than  this,  small 
huts  or  fetish  houses  are  invariably  erected  at  the 
outside  of  every  village  to  keep  the  evil  spirits  away  ; 
and  ears  of  corn,  shells,  and  often  pombe  (native 
beer)  is  placed  in  them  to  propitiate  the  gods.  But 
further  inland,  among  the  Wagogo,  Wanyamwezi, 
and  tribes  round  the  Nyanza,  nothing  of  the  sort  is 
ever  seen.  A  system  of  divination  is  practised  among 
the  Wagogo,  something  like  the  conjuring  tricks  of 
fortune-telling  by  cards.  They  lay  a  number  of  small 
pieces  of  wood  in  a  hole  in  the  ground,  and  the 
medicine  man,  by  producing  various  combinations  of 
these,  two  and  three  at  a  time,  professes  to  foretell 
events  by  this  augury.  I  have  seen  no  other  savages 
do  so,  but  the  Arabs  continually  practise  an  art  not 
very  unsimilar.  I  found  at  Unyanyembe  the  grossest 
superstition  existing  among  the  most  enlightened 
Arabs.  Every  day  much  paper  was  wasted  with 
divination.  If  a  caravan  was  expected,  the  time  of 
its  arrival  was  predicted  by  drawing  at  random  a 
series  of  lines  of  dots,  not  counting  the  number  at 
first,  but  afterwards  counting  them  in  pairs,  when  each 
line  was  found  to  produce  either  an  even  or  an  odd 
numljer.  The  evens  and  odds  were  then  separately 
combined  as  dots  and  dashes.  Each  combination 
received  a  particular  signification,  and  further  mani- 
pulation with    the  series  produced  a  result  believed 


HELVS  tilGtiWAV.  S9 

in  devoutly  as  the  answer  of  the  oracle.  When 
paper  was  scarce,  a  board  sprinkled  with  sand 
served  the  purpose.  Astrology,  too,  as  foolish  as 
ever  practised  in  the  dark  ages  of  Europe,  still 
leads  a  healthy  life  among  the  pious  followers  of  the 
false  Prophet  in  Central  Africa,  These  whitewashed 
sepulchres,  as  all  Arabs  are,  go  daily  through  all  the 
prayers  and  other  public  performances  of  their  blind 
belief,  yet  one  and  all  are  guilty  of  daily  acts  of  the 
most  outrageous  description.  It  is  the  most  devout 
and  pious  who  are  the  greatest  rogues.  It  is  these 
who  send  their  slaves  to  ravage  and  murder,  and 
bring  back  a  booty  of  women  and  children  from 
among  the  helpless  heathen.  Even  here  they  have 
their  emissaries  carrying  on  the  accursed  traffic  in 
human  flesh  and  blood  ;  and  the  caravan  route  to 
Unyanyembe  from  here  is  still,  as  I  find  it  ever  has 
been  in  the  memory  of  men  here  living,  no  less  than 
hell's  highway. 

"  Stanley  predicted  this  as  a  thing  of  the  future. 
I  find  it  past  and  present,  and  what  steps  are  being 
taken  to  prevent  it  in  the  future  also  ?  So  far  as 
Zanzibar  is  concerned,  I  answer  with  certainty — 
none.  On  every  hand  slaves  are  as  openly  bartered 
as  ivory  :  the  one  goes  to  the  English  market,  and 
the  other  to  markets  where  a  trade  is  carried  on  to- 
day as  thriving  as  if  Wilberforce  had  never  lived,  nor 
Abraham  Lincoln  died,  nor  Sir  Bartle  Frere  visited 
the  island  of  Zanzibar — an  island  no  greater  than  a 
county  in  Scotland,  but  great  in  crime  as  the  Babylon 


90  ON   THE  ROAD. 


of  the  Apocalypse.  Renegade  Arabs  from  Muscat 
have  settled  in  Zanzibar,  and  from  the  number  of 
these  a  colony  has  planted  itself  in  Central  Africa, 
owning  allegiance  to  Said  Burgash,  but  really  in- 
dependent of  him,  as  his  power  is  far  too  feeble  to 
penetrate  a  mile  inwards  from  the  seaboard.  It  is 
this  contemptible  colony,  where  every  Arab  lives  in 
a  mud  hut,  that  is  the  main  source  of  the  slave-trade. 
As  Homes  said  of  the  Indian  mutiny :  '  England 
takes  down  the  map  of  the  world,  which  she  has 
girdled  with  empire,  and  makes  a  correction  thus  • 
Delhi,  dele.  The  civilized  world  says,  Amen.' 
—  "  To  put  an  end  to  this  enemy  of  all  that  belongs 
to  humanity,  we  must  make  the  first  step  of  our 
policy  delenda  est  Unyanyenibe.  When  we  can  write 
deleta,  the    backbone  of    the    giant  of  slavery  will 

have  been  broken.     The  last  words  which  K at 

Zanzibar  said  to  me  were,  that  he  believed  the  slave- 
trade  was  for  the  time  stopped,  as  he  had  learned 
nothing  of  it  for  some  time.  Alas  !  that  was  but  a 
barn-door  flight  of  learning.  It  is  scarcely  credible 
that  Europeans  in  Zanzibar  are  almost  to  a  man  as 
profoundly  ignorant  of  the  opposite  coast,  not  to 
speak  of  the  interior,  as  any  one  never  out  of  range 
of  the  sound  of  Bow  bells. 

"  I  must  leave  this  painful  subject.  Enough  that 
the  terrible  evil  is  still  unchecked,  and  there  is  my 
testimony  in  spite  of  all  negative  information  from 
Zanzibar. 

"  I  do  not  know  that  I  have  ever  had  opportunity  to 


FEATURES  OF  THE   COUNTRY.  91 

give  you  any  information  respecting  the  great  stretch 
of  country  between  Unyanyembe  and  the  Nyanza. 
As  a  rule,  it  is  an  uninteresting  road — I  mean  physi- 
cally— but  in  some  respects  it  is  far  from  being  so. 

"  One  passes  through  alternate  stretches  of  jungle 
and  clearing,  and  never  meets  with  a  hill  worthy  of 
the  name.  One  exception  there  is,  about  half-way, 
where  a  bold  range  of  mountains,  composed  of  excel- 
lent iron-stone,  runs  in  an  easterly  and  westerly 
direction.  This,  in  fact,  is  the  general  run  of  the 
country  all  the  way.  As  one  goes  further  north,  a 
strange  sameness  characterizes  the  whole,  low  rocky 
eminences  being  met  with  at  every  mile,  and  all  bear- 
ing east  and  west.  Even  in  the  lake  itself  the 
system  is  continued,  for  Ukerewe  is  really  nothing 
more  nor  less  than  one  of  these  parallel  sierras  ;  and 
judging  from  the  numerous  islets  lying  in  a  row 
between  its  western  extremity  and  the  coast  of  Kara- 
gue,  I  expect  to  find,  on  sounding,  that  a  submerged 
bank  extends  across  the  lake  in  this  part.  Unyan- 
yembe lies  only  some  300  feet  above  the  Victoria 
Nyanza ;  and  although  its  drainage  is  to  the  Tan- 
ganyika, one  is  soon  out  of  that  lower  basin,  and 
entered  upon  the  level  plain,  which  sends  its  waters 
to  the  Nyanza  by  the  Simeyu  river,  and  its  strangely 
winding  affluent  the  Mononga. 

"  All  the  country  is  granite,  generally  grey,  beauti- 
ful as  ever  an  Aberdonian  quarried  in  the  hills  of 
Woodside  or  Boxburn.  Now  and  again,  where  the 
feldspar   predominates    over  the    quartz,   blocks   are 


92  ON  THE  ROAD. 


found  of  a  reddish  tint,  very  much  like  the  product  of 
Peterhead.  These  sierras  I  have  already  alluded  to 
are  a  series  of  piles  of  mighty  boulders  crowning  low 
downs  of  sand,  and  covered  generally  by  a  scant}- 
vegetation.  The  mighty  granite  masses  are  no  glacial 
boulders,  but  relics  of  a  higher  land  that  once  stood 
a  couple  of  hundred  feet  above  the  present  general 
level.  Here  and  there  a  solitary  monolith  is  all  that 
remains,  but  generally  there  are  great  piles  of  rock 
towering  one  above  the  other,  as  if  some  African 
Titan  had  been  playing  at  building  strongholds,  but 
his  masons  struck  before  a  single  one  of  the  walls 
was  complete,  and  now  the  whole  are  in  ruins.  On 
the  face  of  these  rocks  one  may  almost  trace  the 
movements  of  the  hand  of  Time,  as  each  boulder  shows 
round  its  base  a  family  of  fragments,  some  detached 
centuries  ago,  and  others  with  all  the  appearance  of 
having  come  away  but  yesterday.  As  rain  and  sun 
combined  to  break  up  the  larger  masses,  so  these 
powerful  forces  are  ever  acting  on  the  broken  pieces, 
grinding  them  down  to  form  the  loose  sand,  or  rather 
coarse  gravel,  of  which  all  the  soil  is  composed,  and 
slowly  but  surely  reducing  the  whole  country  to  one 
unbroken  plain.  On  the  day  the  bottom  oi"  the 
Nyanza  sank,  and  another  country  north  of  Uganda 
became  still  more  depressed,  the  great  lake  that 
covered  Usukuma  discharged  its  watery  contents  to 
produce  seven  years'  plenty  in  Egypt.  The  mighty 
reservoir  then  contracted  into  what  we  call  the  Vic- 
toria Nyanza,    and    no   wonder  that   the    diminished 


GREAT  TANK  OF  THE  NILE.  93 

supply  which  the  Ripon  Falls  could  yield  was  looked 
upon  as  a  time  of  famine  in  the  land  of  corn.  The 
emerged  land  got  by-and-by  saturated  with  showers, 
and  the  surplus  water  found  its  way  to  the  lake,  and 
hence  to  the  mighty  river,  and  now  the  equilibrium 
is  restored,  and  the  Nile  rises  yearly  as  in  former 
days. 

"  Whatever  be  the  history  of  Nyanza  in  the  past,  the 
relations  of  this  reservoir  to  commerce  in  the  present 
should  not  be  overlooked.  In  these  days  of  Indian 
famines,  much  talk  is  made  on  the  subject  of  artificial 
tanks  for  the  storing  of  water  against  periods  of 
drought.  The  wheat  and  the  rice  and  cotton  fields 
of  Egypt  are  of  no  small  importance  in  the  world's 
supplies ;  and  considering  the  amount  of  English 
money  invested  in  the  country,  capitalists  would 
do  well  to  turn  their  attention  to  Lake  Victoria,  for 
the  rise  and  fall  of  the  waters  in  that  tank  deter- 
mine the  amount  of  produce  in  Egypt.  If  this  year 
the  unusual  rains  have  devastated  the  land  of  Un- 
yamwezi,  and  gone  to  swell  the  bosom  of  Nyanza  to 
a  height  of  six  feet,  it  is  evident  that  this  volume  of 
water  must  flow  out  some  time ;  and  if  when  it  has 
reached  Cairo  it  does  not  produce  *  corn  in  Egypt,'  I 
fear  all  ideas  of  tanks  as  a  means  of  irrigation  are  at 
an  end. 

"  In  the  Geographical  Magazine  which  published 
Stanley's  map,  Ravenstein  makes  much  of  the  want 
of  agreement  between  Stanley's  map  and  his  account. 
Among    other   corrections   by    that    *  stay-at-home  * 


94  ON  THE  ROAD. 


geographer,  an  island  called  Khva  is  laughed  at,  be- 
cause, says  the  reviewer,  the  word  Khva  means  island. 
In  what  language  I  do  not  know.  The  Suahili 
word  is  Kisiwa,  and  in  Uganda  they  say  Kisinga,  nor 
have  I  found  any  one  in  this  part  of  the  world  call  an 
island  Kiwa.  It  is  too  bad  to  find  London  men 
thinking  they  at  any  rate  can  improve  upon  our 
information  regarding  things  here." 

"  M'KoNGO,  West  Coast,  Victoria  Nyanza, 
About  Lat.  1°  S. ; 
"  Near  Msira  Island  (Stanley's  Map), 

"Wi  Sept.,  1878. 

"  Ten  days  ago  we  were  wrecked  on  the  shore  of 
this  place,  and  probably  much  more  than  other  ten 
days  must  elapse  before  we  can  find  ourselves  clear 
away  from  it.  On  the  23rd  August,  1878,  we  set  sail 
from  Kagei,  but  a  severe  thunderstorm  soon  swept 
the  lake,  and  continued  increasing  all  the  next  day, 
while  most  vivid  lightning  among  the  distant  moun- 
tains of  Karague  made  us  anxious  to  reach  the  shore. 
All  night  we  toiled  at  the  oars — that  is,  the  few  who 
could  row,  for  the  Baganda  men  whom  we  had  on 
board  had  no  idea  of  rowing — and  just  before  dawn 
we  neared  the  land.  Many  a  time  I  let  down  my 
twenty-fathom  line,  but  in  vain,  until  at  length,  when 
hope  was  at  the  lowest,  and  we  feared  to  find  our- 
selves in  fathomless  water  on  an  unknown  shore,  but 
which  the  occasional  faint  glimmer  of  a  star  showed 
to  have  precipitous  cliffs,  I  found  bottom  at  fourteen 


SHIPWRECKED.  9S 

fathoms.  Hope  revived,  though  the  storm  seemed 
to  be  making  towards  us,  and  finding  a  point  where 
the  cliffs  receded,  having  a  level  sandy  beach,  we  cast 
anchor  in  three  and  a  half  fathoms  of  water,  lowered 
the  masts,  and  hoisted  an  awning  to  secure  us  from 
the  approaching  tempest.  The  storms  met  and  passed 
away,  but  we  were  all  too  much  exhausted  to  think 
of  moving  on.  Our  food  was  done,  but  we  hoped 
to  secure  some  bananas  among  the  neighbouring 
villages.  For  this  purpose  we  anchored  a  little  nearer 
the  shore,  but  no  sooner  had  we  changed  our  position 
than  the  storms  now  gone  past  made  themselves  felt 
on  the  sea,  and  terrible  waves  began  to  break  over 
us.  For  half  an  hour  we  did  our  utmost  to  keep  the 
vessel  afloat,  raising  a  false  splash-board  with  sails, 
and  trying  to  keep  the  ship's  head  to  sea.  One  tre- 
mendous wave  made  the  bowsprit  dip  under  the 
anchor- chain,  when  away  went  the  bulwark  on  the 
weather-side,  and  the  next  sea  came  bodily  into  the 
open  boat.  We  were  rapidly  sinking,  but  had  we 
got  farther  out,  we  might  have  succeeded  in  keeping 
afloat  until  the  sea  calmed.  Our  crew  became  panic- 
stricken,  and  nothing  remained  but  to  try  to  save  our 
goods  by  drifting  ashore.  After  considerable  bruises 
from  the  chain,  we  got  anchor  up,  and  next  moment 
we  were  stranded  on  the  beach.  Our  instruments 
and  perishable  effects  were  landed  in  less  time  than 
I  take  to  tell  the  story,  and  by  degrees  we  got  the 
engine's  tools  and  heavy  '  boiler-shells '  safe  on  land. 
We  tried  hard  to  save  the  boat  from  the  surf,  but  om 


96  ON  THE  ROAD. 


united  efforts  were  of  no  avail,  for  she  became  a 
complete  wreck.  The  natives  began  to  gather  round, 
and  envied  our  goods  as  we  spread  them  out  to  dry, 
but  refused  to  render  any  assistance  in  hauling  the 
boat  up  the  beach.  The  unmerciful  waves  rapidly 
did  the  work  of  destruction,  tearing  away  the  side 
from  the  keel,  and  nearly  detaching  the  hinder  com- 
partment bodily.  The  wreck  was  already  so  complete 
that  it  could  not  now  be  much  worse,  and  as  the 
storm  subsided  a  little  we  set  to  work  to  knock  up 
a  hut  out  of  spars  and  sails,  and  as  our  goods  dried 
we  gathered  the  articles  together,  to  conceal  them 
from  the  covetous  eyes  of  the  natives.  Thankful  to 
God  for  sparing  our  lives,  and  that  our  property  was 
not  more  damaged,  we  changed  our  dripping  clothes, 
and  found  some  food.  We  soon  set  to  work  to  repair 
the  Daisy,  much  as  one  would  make  a  pair  of  shoes 
out  of  a  pair  of  long  boots  ;  cutting  eight  feet  out  of 
the  middle  of  her,  we  brought  stem  and  stern  together, 
patching  up  all  broken  parts  in  these  with  the  wood 
of  the  middle  portion,  and  after  eight  weeks'  hard 
labour  we  launched  her  once  more  on  the  Victoria 
Nyanza. 

"  Only  the  other  day  I  came  across  some  of  Stanley's 
letters  in  the  Daily  Telegraph,  and  discovered,  to  my 
dismay,  that  this  is  the  very  spot  where  Stanley  had 
one  of  those  hair-breadth  escapes  from  massacre 
which  seem  to  have  characterized  throughout  that  last 
but  memorable  march  of  his  across  the  continent. 
Well    it   was  for  us    that    he   was   not  *  vengefully, 


TRIBUTE    TO  STANLEY.  97 

disposed  '  on  that  morning  ;  for  had  he  then  fired  but 
a  single  shot,  the  natives  would  doubtless  have  taken 
a  terrible  revenge  on  us,  as  we  were  wrecked  on  the 
very  same  beach  ;  but  a  kind  Providence  foresaw  all, 
and  ever  since  we  set  foot  on  this  shore  the  natives 
have  proved  themselves  as  kindly  disposed  as  we 
could  have  desired.  Wherever  I  find  myself  in 
Stanley's  track,  in  Uganda,  Ugogo,  or  even  Ukerewe  v/ 
itself,  I  find  his  treatment  of  the  natives  has  invari- 
ably been  such  as  to  win  from  them  the  highest  re- 
spect for  the  face  of  a  white  man." 


A.    M.    M 


ARRIVES  IN  UGANDA. 


"Mtesa,  kindly,  but  formal,  fearful  of  his  dignity,  crafty, 
suspicious,  and  capable  of  acts  so  vile  and  foul  that  they  may 
only  be  hinted  at,  surrounded  by  an  abject  court,  an  object  of 
grovelling  adoration  to  slavish  thousands,  but  really  great  in 
nothing." — Two  Kings  of  Uganda. 

"  We  need  here  practical  hands,  as  there  is  a  great  deal  of 
physical  work  to  be  done.  But  whatever  Uganda  needs,  there 
is  at  least  'one  thing  needful,'  and  any  work  we  do,  if  it  does 
not  aim  at  imparting  a  knowledge  of  that,  and  bear  right  down 
on  it  too,  will  be  of  comparatively  little  value." — A.  M,  Mackay. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

ARRIVES  IN    UGANDA. 

MACKAY  reached  the  place,  which  he  had 
chosen  as  his  home,  in  November,  1878.  In 
the  following  extracts  from  letters  and  journals,  we 
find  him  holding  the  Sunday  services  at  court,  and 
gaining  the  confidence  of  the  king,  who  for  a  time 
abolishes  slavery  and  forbids  all  Sunday  labour. 

"  Uganda,  Nov.,  1878. 

"You  would  sometimes  be  amused  to  hear  the 
high  idea  entertained  by  the  king  and  people  about 
their  own  country.  It  is  only  natural,  however.  Not 
long  ago  Mtesa  said  to  me  :  '  Mackay,  when  I  be- 
come friends  with  England,  God  in  heaven  will  be 
witness  that  England  will  not  come  to  make  war  on 
Uganda,  nor  Uganda  go  to  make  war  on  England ! 
And  when  I  go  to  England,'  he  continued,  '  I  shall 
take  greatness  and  glory  with  me,  and  shall  bring 
greatness  and  glory  back  again.  Every  one  will  say, 
"Oh,  Mtesa  is  coming!"  when  I  reach  England, 
and  when  I  return,  "  Oh,  Mtesa  is  coming  back 
again  1 " ' 

"  Of  course,  at  such  statements  I   only   look    very 


ARRIVES  IN  UGANDA. 


grave,  and  say,  'Just  so,  exactly.'  At  present  (do  not 
laugh)  Mtesa  really  believes  that  Uganda  is  the  most 
powerful  country  in  the  world.  Though  he  fears 
Egypt,  he  has  often  spoken  of  going  to  fight  against 
Col.  Gordon.  I  have  had  some  stiff  arguments  with 
him  on  this  point.  You  will  understand  that  in 
such  matters  I  must  be  very  careful.  A  king  that  is 
used  to  nothing  but  flattery  from  his  courtiers,  whose 
lives  he  can  take  at  any  moment  if  they  do  anything 
other  than  flatter  him,  is  no  ordinary  individual  to 
speak  plainly  to.  One  needs  a  smooth  tongue  when 
speaking  to  him.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  I  am 
afraid  of  him,  but  there  is  no  use  giving  offence. 
And  yet  the  truth  can  be  told,  although  not  in  just  so 
many  words.  In  sacred  matters,  however,  I  do  very 
differently.  In  teaching  the  relations  between  man 
and  God,  I  make  no  mincing  of  matters.  When  I 
have  to  say  what  goes  hard  against  heathen  custom 
and  pride  and  love  of  self,  I  give  my  message,  saying, 
it  is  not  mine,  but  God's  command." 

"Uganda,  Nov.,  1878. 

•*.  .  ,  When  I  last  wrote  you,  I  said  I  should 
write  more  fully  next;  and  now  it  is  just  as  hard  to 
fulfil  my  pledge  as  then.  Being  alone,  I  have  very 
much  always  on  hand,  and  seldom  have  a  moment  to 
spare. 

"  It  is  to  the  mercy  of  God  that  I  owe  my  life  to- 
day, for  last  week  I  nearly  succeeded  in  accidentally 
poisoning  myself.     I   was  gathering  castor-oil  seeds 


ALMOST  POISONED.  103 

in  order  to  express  the  oil,  and  foolishly  ate  a  few, 
thinking  they  were  harmless.  When  I  was  up  at  the 
palace  a  few  hours  after,  I  began  to  feel  very  ill ;  and 
on  coming  home  I  discovered  from  a  book  on  thera- 
peutics that  the  seeds  contained  an  acrid  substance 
which  is  very  poisonous,  three  seeds  being  sufficient 
to  prove  fatal — I  had  eaten  at  least  half  a  dozen ! 
And,  perhaps,  the  fact  of  my  having  taken  so  many 
saved  me.  At  once  I  noted  the  cause  in  my  logbook, 
took  strong  emetics,  and  an  ounce  of  the  castor  oil 
itself,  commended  myself  and  mine  and  my  work  to 
God,  and  lay  down  to  die.  My  servants  gathered 
round  me,  but  soon  fell  all  asleep,  and  I  had 
difficulty  in  rousing  them  up  to  keep  constant 
fomentations  on  my  stomach  ;  but  a  most  violent 
thunder-storm  came  on,  lasting  a  great  part  of  the 
night,  and  that  kept  one  of  the  fellows  awake.  It 
was  six  days  before  I  was  able  to  appear  at  court 
again,  and  every  one,  even  Mtesa  himself,  called  me 
a  skeleton,  as  they  looked  on  my  sunken  cheeks. 

"  I  therefore  hope  that  the  Lord  has  work  for  me 
to  do  here  yet — the  shadow  has  gone  back  on  my 
dial,  as  it  did  on  that  of  Hezekiah.  May  I  trust  in 
the  God  of  Israel  as  he  did,  and  may  it  be  said  of 
me  in  after  years  that  in  all  the  reforms  I  tried  to 
bring  about  here,  '  The  Lord  was  with  him.' 

".  .  .  God  has  blessed,  and  is  still  blessing,  our 
work  here  ;  for  He  has  made  the  king  and  people 
willing  at  least  to  be  taught.  Fortunately  Suahili 
is  widely  understood,  and  I  am  pretty  much  at  home 


104  ARRIVES  IN  UGANDA. 

in  that  tongue,  while  I  have  many  portions  of  the 
Old  and  New  Testament  in  Suahili.  I  am  thus  able 
to  read  frequently  to  the  king  and  the  whole  court 
the  Word  of  God,  and  there  is  a  mighty  power  in 
that  alone.  On  Sundays  I  hold  regularly  divine 
service  in  court,  and  all  join  as  far  as  they  under- 
stand. Stanley  began  the  good  work,  and  now  we 
are  enabled  to  carry  it  on.  I  have  made  the  faith  in 
Islam  a  special  subject  of  study  of  late,  and  at  every 
fitting  opportunity  am  able  to  put  to  confusion  the 
pretensions  of  the  Arabs  who  represent  the  false 
Prophet  here.  The  day  is  dawning,  and  I  hope  will 
.-ioon  be  bright.  The  king  and  I  are  great  friends, 
and  the  chiefs  also  have  great  confidence  in  me ;  and 
1  hope  to  be  able  to  guide  them  in  the  way  of  a  more 
humane  policy  than  has  existed  hitherto.  Cruelty, 
slavery,  polygamy,  witchcraft,  are  only  some  of  the 
terrible  evils  to  be  combated,  and  I  have  not  been 
slack  in  my  testimony  regarding  them.  Only  the 
grace  of  God  can  undo  all  that  the  devil  has  been 
doing  here  since  the  world  began.  But  that  grace  is 
sufficiently  powerful  to  do  so  and  more.     .    .    .*' 

"Uganda,  Christmas^  1878. 
"To-day  I  held  a  special  service,  all  the  chiefs 
being  in  '  extra  dress,'  when  I  explained  the  great 
event  of  the  day.  I  read  the  account  of  the  birth  of 
Jesus,  as  given  in  St.  Luke's  Gospel,  and  explained 
fully  the  message  of  the  angels.  When  I  had  done 
I  was  asked  to  tell  more,  and  I  embraced  the  oppor- 


SLAVE  BARTER.  lOS 


tunity  to  show  the  dignity  of  labour  from  our  Lord's 
thirty  years'  hfe  at  Nazareth. 

"  Lately  an  Arab  trader  arrived  with  guns  and 
cloth,  for  which  he  wanted  only  slaves.  Prices  thus : 
one  red  cloth,  one  slave  ;  one  musket,  two  slaves ; 
one  hundred  percussion  caps,  one  female  slave.  I 
vigorously  opposed  him,  and  informed  the  king  of 
the  Sultan's  decrees  against  the  slave  traffic,  and  of 
the  cruelties  perpetrated  on  its  victims.  Then  I  gave 
a  lecture  on  physiology,  and  asked  why  such  an 
organism  as  a  human  body,  which  no  man  can 
make,  should  be  sold  for  a  rag  of  cloth,  which  any 
man  can  make  in  a  day.  The  result  was  not  only 
the  rejection  of  the  Arab's  demand,  but  a  decree  for- 
bidding any  person  in  Uganda  to  sell  a  slave  on  pain 
of  death.  By  another  decree  Mtesa  has  forbidden  all 
Sunday  labour,  and  the  question  of  the  evils  of  poly- 
gamy has  been  seriously  discussed  by  him  and  the 
chiefs." 

** Jan.  loth,  1879. 

"  Since  I  last  wrote  I  have  little  news  or  informa- 
tion of  interest  to  you.  Work  goes  on  smoothly  and 
steadily,  and  I  hope  that  our  teaching  is  taking  root. 
In  nature  the  greatest  things  grow  slowly,  and  we 
can  expect  no  other  mode  of  operation  here.  A 
mushfoom  growth  produces  nothing  lasting,  hence 
we  must  be  patient ;  still,  I  have  little  doubt  but 
that  if  we  sow  much  we  shall  reap  also  much,  and 
that  the  harder  the  toil  so  much  greater  will  be  the 
result.     .     .    .    Reading,  I  am  teaching  by  the  '  look- 


Io6  ARRIVES  IN  UGANDA. 

and-say'  method,  and  for  this  I  prepare  a  series  of 
large  type  sheets  in  the  Luganda  language.  It  is 
wonderful  how  rapid  progress  my  pupils  are  making 
in  this  way.  I  find  the  teaching  I  received  at  the 
Free  Church  Normal  School  of  the  greatest  value 
in  this  respect.  Would  that  all  missionaries  were 
taught  how  to  teach.  I  owe  a  deep  debt  of  gratitude 
to  Mr.  Paterson  and  his  colleagues  of  Moray  House 
for  what  I  learned  there.  The  national  schools  in 
Uganda  need  more  men  from  that  excellent  institu- 
tion. .  .  .  The  people  are  not  savages  nor  even 
barbarians.  They  are  out  of  sight  far  in  advance  of 
any  race  I  have  met  with  or  even  heard  of  in  Central 
Africa ;  they  are  exceedingly  neat-handed,  far  more 
so  than  the  coast  people,  who  call  themselves  alone 
'  civilized.'  It  is  indeed  a  great  step  in  advance  that 
was  taken  by  the  Free  Church  in  the  case  of  the 
*  Livingstonia  Mission,'  and  by  the  C.M.S.  in  our 
case  to  make  missions  in  Central  Africa  industrial. 
The  African  has  never  shown  any  capacity  to  grasp 
the  Unseen  per  se  ;  he  requires  something  tangible — 
practical.  .  .  .  Uganda  is  out  of  sight  the  finest 
part  of  Africa  which  I  have  yet  seen.  The  climate 
is  delightful,  like  an  ever-English  summer  ;  at  night 
it  is  seldom  colder  than  60°  Fahr.,  and  in  the  day- 
time only  a  trifle  above  80°  Fahr.  Rain  falls  here 
almost  every  night,  and  no  day  passes  without 
thunderstorms.  Grain  is  almost  unknown,  the 
universal  food  being  green  plantains,  which  are 
generally  merely  boiled.     The  trees  grow   with   no 


PRODUCTS   OF   UGANDA.  lOJ 

attention,  and  each  bunch  is  a  man's  load.  The 
natives  are  rather  prodigal  with  the  trees  ;  they  in- 
variably cut  one  down  to  get  a  bunch  of  plantains ; 
but  so  extraordinary  is  the  vitality  of  the  tree  that 
it  sprouts  again  immediately,  and  in  about  fifteen 
months  has  produced  another  branch,  and  is  then 
felled  as  before.  The  people  are  an  active,  intelli- 
gent, but  excitable  race  ;  they  have  little  or  nothing 
to  do  for  their  daily  food,  as  the  rich  soil  yields  of 
itself  all  that  is  viranted  in  this  way.  Uganda  is  a 
constant  succession  of  hill  and  hollow,  the  latter 
being  generally  swamps ;  hence  mosquitoes  are  a 
most  terrible  plague.  The  ground,  when  not  culti- 
vated, is  covered  with  rank  tiger  grass,  stout  as  reeds, 
and  these  seem  particularly  favourable  to  the  pre- 
sence of  mosquitoes.  They  harbour  besides  wild 
beasts  innumerable,  and  pythons — a  kind  of  snake 
allied  to  the  boa  constrictor — of  dreadful  size.  The 
natives  are  most  afraid  of  buffaloes,  which  have  a 
peculiar  fondness  for  plundering  their  plantations  of 
plantains. 

"  This  country  is  really  a  rich  one,  and  might  pro- 
duce anything.  Cotton,  coffee,  tobacco,  are  indi- 
genous. Every  stone  is  iron,  and  kaolin  is  in 
inexhaustible  quantity.  This  kaolin — a  stratum  of 
white  clay  below  the  red  clay  —will  prove  of  great 
value  when  the  country  becomes  open  to  trade.  But 
it  is  not  necessary  for  me  to  give  any  lengthened 
description  of  such  things.  No  account  could  be 
more  accurate  or  admirable  than  that  given  by  Col. 


io8  ARRIVES  IN   UGANDA. 

Grant  in  his 'Walk  across  Africa.'  Indian  corn  is, 
I  believe,  indigenous,  as  also  sweet  potato ;  but 
wheat  and  rice  are  grown  only  by  coast  men.  I 
should  fancy  this  would  be  excellent  land  for 
growing  tea  and  quinine,  and  many  other  valuable 
articles ;  but,  until  there  is  some  proper  means  of 
access  to  the  country,  the  soil  and  its  many  products 
must  lie  idle.  Only  English  enterprise  can  overcome 
the  difficulties,  although  one  great  step  is  gained  when 
we  make  the  natives  themselves  alive  to  the  import- 
ance of  a  good  road.  I  fear  animal  power  of  any 
kind  will  never  be  available  in  Central  Africa  from 
the  presence  of  that  fatal  fly,  the  tsetse  ;  but  in  these 
days  of  steam  we  need  not  fold  our  hands.  I  hope 
soon  to  show  what  can  be  done  in  that  way,  though 
on  a  small  scale  ;  for  there  are  several  articles  of 
steam  machinery  belonging  to  the  Mission,  and  when 
I  have  these  at  work  we  have  the  power  to  produce 
more  and  on  a  larger  scale." 

Sunday,  Jan.  \2tli. — By  dawn  no  less  than  four 
great  chiefs  and  their  retinues  called.  Begged  thread 
and  buttons — gave  both.  Went  to  palace.  Court  at 
length  opened.  No  music  or  dancing  to-day.  Read 
prayers,  adding  prayer  for  heathen  unbelievers. 
Mtesa  asked  "  what  would  be  the  lot  of  the  heathen 
who  never  heard  of  God  .-*  "  Replied  that  God  held 
them  guilty,  not  for  want  of  knowledge,  but  because 
they  did  not  seek  after  Him.  Read  Gospel,  Matt.  viii. 
i8;   ix.    17.      Explained    each    paragraph.      I    find 


A    CROWDED  SMITHY.  109 

Mufta  has  no  understanding  of  the  parables  or  any- 
thing else.  He  is,  besides,  most  unfaithful  in  inter- 
preting any  passage  when  he  thinks  the  king  will  be 
offended.  To-day  I  explained  the  joining  of  new 
cloth  on  an  old  garment  by  incompatibility  of 
Christianity  and  heathen  customs,  e.g.,  polygamy  and 
slavery.  Mufta  would  not  give  my  meaning,  still  I 
gave  the  king  to  understand  the  truth.  Probably 
fearing  further  teaching  on  the  subject,  he  imme- 
diately dismissed  the  court.  ...  I  believe  the 
reading  of  the  life  of  our  Lord  is  not  without  effect. 
To-day  the  king  remarked  to  his  people :  "  ISA 
(Jesus) — was  there  ever  any  one  like  Him  }  " 

Toli  and  others  in,  part  of  afternoon.  Many  boys 
are  ever  with  me.  What  attracts  them  I  don't  know, 
for  I  give  them  noticing. 

Tuesday,  i\tJi. — Yesterday  and  to-day  engaged  in 
fitting  up  shop  for  iron  work.  Forge,  anvil,  lathe, 
vice,  and  grindstone,  are  now  in  order,  and  will,  I 
hope,  be  of  very  much  service. 

Thursday,  i6th. — Host  of  chiefs  and  slaves  crowding 
my  smithy.  The  cyclops  blower  and  turning  lathe 
are  great  marvels  to  them  all.  The  grindstone,  how- 
ever, is  perhaps  the  most  interesting  object.  They 
cannot  understand  how  "  the  wheels  go  round  !  " 

Tuesday,  21st. — May  God  give  me  grace  to  search 
my  heart !  What  have  I  been  doing  since  I  came  to 
Africa  ?  O  Lord,  make  me  and  every  one  of  us 
faithful  to  Thee,  faithful  unto  death.  May  we  aim  at 
nothins:  short  of  the  salvation  of  souls !      What  a 


no  ARRIVES  IN  UGANDA. 

different  life  did  Johnson  lead  at  Sierra  Leone  !  May 
my  heart  be  as  full  of  the  desire  for  the  salvation  of 
souls  as  his  was  !  The  Spirit  of  God  is  working  in  me. 
It  is  not  in  vain.  He  will  perfect  that  which  He  has 
begun.  Give  me  a  burning  zeal,  O  God,  for  winning 
souls.  Am  I  not  here  the  link  between  dying  men 
and  the  dying  Christ  } 

Sunday,  26th. — Held  service  in  court  The  psalm 
I  selected — 51st — struck  with  force,  and  the  king  gave 
the  meaning  of  it  in  Luganda.  Read  St.  Matthew  x. 
32-xi.  30.  The  Spirit  of  God  seemed  to  be  working, 
for  I  never  found  so  deep  an  interest  before,  nor  so 
intelligent  an  understanding.  Explained  carefully 
the  failure  of  man  to  keep  the  Commandments  of 
God,  and  the  way  of  salvation  through  Jesus  Christ. 
He  not  only  loved  God  with  all  His  heart,  but  loved 
man  so  much  as  to  die  for  him.  The  king  was  so 
struck  with  the  truth  of  this,  that  he  said  to  Songura, 
"  This  is  truth  I  have  heard  to-day  ;  there  can  be 
only  one  truth.  You  cannot  say  there  are  twenty 
mani  in  a  frasilah  if  there  be  only  twelve.  Your  re- 
ligion is  different  from  the  truth,  therefore  it  must  be 
lies."  He  spoke  of  the  persecution  which  he  must 
endure  from  Egypt  by  becoming  a  Christian,  but  saw 
that  persecution  was  the  cross  of  Christians. 

I  never  had  such  a  blessed  service.  Oh,  may  the 
mighty  Spirit  of  God  work  deeply  in  their  hearts  by 
His  grace !     He  alone  can  do  it. 

Afternoon,  king  sent  message  with  present  of  goat 
saying,  it  was  a  blessed  passage  I  read  to-day.  ToH 
called  and  spoke  of  the  same. 


COUNSELS  MERCY  IN   WAR.  Ill 

To-day  the  king  reproved  Songura  for  wanting 
to  sell  a  gun  on  the  Sabbath.  May  God  make  us 
consistent  ourselves  in  the  observance  of  His  day ! 
That  is  not  easy  in  Africa,  still  it  is  possible.  Even 
in  travelling  I  always  found  it  practicable. 

Adam  returned  after  several  days'  desertion.  By 
foolishly  firing  off  guns  in  these  days  of  setting  out 
to  war,  many  have  been  seriously  shot  by  accident. 
Two  men  I  find  with  their  legs  broken,  and  another 
with  a  bullet  through  the  shoulder,  I  know  too  little 
of  surgery  to  treat  the  cases  well,  but  shall  do  my 
best. 

Friday,  2\th. — Great  day  at  court.  All  great 
chiefs,  eight  in  number,  with  their  slaves  and  de- 
pendents, commissioned  to  go  to  Busoga  to  reduce 
rebellion.  Some  10,000,  I  believe,  will  be  the 
strength  of  the  united  force.  Talked  earnestly  with 
Kyambalango,  Sembuzi,  and  others  on  method  of 
warfare.  I  advised  to  cease  from  cruelty.  When  the 
enemy  sued  for  peace,  to  slay  no  more,  nor  chop  their 
ears  off,  nor  to  steal  their  wives  and  slaves.  Told 
them  to  unarm  the  rebels,  and  be  satisfied  with  goats 
and  oxen. 

Wednesday,  2<^th. — Koluji  called.  Promises  to  re- 
pair roof  of  workshop.  Talked  with  him  on  the 
custom  he  has,  with  many  chiefs,  of  carrying  a  rosary, 
as  the  Mohammedans  do.  He  promises  to  leave  it 
off.  He  sees  also  the  absurdity  of  charms,  although 
recently  he  believed  so  strongly  in  them  as  to  buy  of 
me  a  white  cock  to  sacrifice.     Persuaded  two  more 


Il2  ARRIVES   IN   UGANDA. 

chiefs  to  lay  aside  rosary.  Great  chief  (next  to 
Katikiro)  has,  I  am  glad  to  say,  taken  my  advice, 
and  rejected  his  charms  on  his  legs  against  snakes. 

Before  going  to  bed,  heard  great  cry  of  goat  being 
carried  off  by  a  leopard.  It  seemed  to  be  at  the  very 
door.  Aroused  cowherd  and  rushed  out  with  lantern, 
but  found  our  goats  all  safe  in  shed.  My  fowls  have 
been  disappearing  ever}'  night,  till  now  I  have  none. 
A  great  hole  in  the  side  of  their  hut  shows  how  easily 
the  beast  of  prey  knows  how  to  get  his  supper.  It  is, 
indeed,  dangerous  to  open  the  door  after  dark. 

Sunday,  Feb.  gih. — Sat  for  hours  in  church  teach- 
ing. To-day  wrote  out  the  Lord's  Prayer  in  Luganda. 
Edi  had  written  it  with  much  other  matter  (I  think 
from  Stanley's  dictation),  in  Arabic  character.  I  am 
really  astonished  to  find  many  copies  of  this  about. 
The  eagerness  to  know  and  possess  the  truth  is  much 
more  deeply  seated  here  among  chiefs  and  youths 
than  I  suspected. 

The  next  scene  is  that  of  Mackay  boldly  denounc- 
ing the  virtue  of  placing  bloody  charms  on  the 
threshold. 

May  1st. — Several  medicine-men  put  in  an  appear- 
ance, shaking  their  magic  wands  at  the  door ;  and 
from  the  deference  shown  them,  I  could  well  see 
what  a  place  these  evil  priests  occupy  even  in  the 
court  at  the  present  day.  Then  two  of  the  grass 
bunches,  dipped  in  blood,  were  brought  in  by  a  magic 
man.     The  king  received  them  by  simply  touching 


DENOUNCES   CHARMS. 


them,  and  they  were  at  once  placed  on  the  threshold 
with  several  there  already. 

I  felt  the  occasion  most  opportune,  but  could  not 
get  a  beginning.  Soon,  however,  by  God's  help,  I 
gathered  my  thoughts  in  Suahili  and  began.  To 
lead  gently  and  agreeably  up  to  the  point,  I  began 
talking  of  the  greatness  of  Uganda  and  its  great 
king,  and  how  he  alone  of  all  the  kings  in  Central 
Africa  was  willing  to  hear  and  obey  the  Word  of 
God,  and  to  worship  the  one  true  God  and  His  Son, 
Isa  Masiya.  But,  I  said,  some  of  his  people  seemed 
to  wish  him  to  serve  other  gods  also.  For  instance, 
there,  and  kneeling  down  I  took  hold  of  one  of  the 
charms  on  the  threshold.  I  said  these  were  poor 
gods.  Was  not  Jehovah  in  heaven  far  greater  than 
all  these  bunches  of  grass  ?  That  was  an  insult  to 
God  to  look  for  good  luck  from  such  things.  Good 
luck  came  from  God  alone. 

"Oh,  it  is  destari"  (custom  of  old).  That  was  the 
general  reply.  Then  I  continued  to  show  the 
absurdity  of  the  thing.  Was  not  grass  in  the  jungle 
and  grass  in  the  doorway  just  the  same  ?  A  mouth- 
ful for  a  cow ! 

The  next  defence  of  it  by  the  king  was  that  it  was 
an  offering.  I  called  to  his  mind  the  Psalms  and 
other  Scripture  I  had  read  to  him  before,  how  Christ 
has  once  for  all  shed  His  blood,  that  God  requires 
only  the  worship  of  our  hearts. 

Then  arose  much  talk  about  the  necessity  for 
mixing  the  new  (white  man's)   religion  with  the  old. 

A.  M.  M.  8 


114  ARRIVES  IN   UGANDA. 

I  spoke  very  earnestly  on  this,  and  asked  the  king  if 
I  had  not  read  to  him  how  Christ  said  a  piece  of  new 
cloth  cannot  be  sewn  on  an  old  garment.  I  begged 
my  words  not  to  be  misunderstood,  for  they  were  not 
the  words  of  merely  a  Msungu  (European),  but  of 
Miiiingu  (God). 

But  Satan  had  his  messenger  to  check  me.  None 
of  the  half-breeds  were  present,  but  one  of  Baker's 
renegades  did  terrible  talk  in  Arabic.  I  do  not  think 
the  fellow  meant  to  be  against  me,  but  he  is  a  great 
flatterer,  and  therefore  a  favourite  courtier.  They 
call  him  Babek^re.  Mtesa  generally  interpreted  his 
words  to  me.  They  were  pretty  much  that  white 
men  were  in  Egypt,  in  Alexandria,  Jeddah,  Khar- 
toum, etc.,  and  all  were  engaged  in  doing  the 
wonderful  things  which  white  men  could  do,  but  that 
they  did  not  demand  that  the  old  religion  of  these 
places  should  be  laid  aside.  When  we  showed  some 
wonderful  work,  then  the  king  would  be  able  to  ask 
the  Baganda  to  follow  the  white  man's  faith. 

Hardly  I  pressed  the  necessity  of  putting  things  of 
heaven  first,  for  soon  we  should  all  have  to  leave  this 
world,  and  could  take  no  skill  or  trades  with  us  to  the 
next.  Talk  was  often  very  trying  and  unpleasant  to 
listen  to,  but  I  took  little  notice,  except  to  renew 
my  supplication,  begging  them  to  serve  God  only. 
"  Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  besides  Me."  This 
they  have  heard,  and  I  pressed  attention  to  it 

The  king  at  times  got  warm,  and  said  "  he  knew  to 
read  before  we  came,  and  knew  the  Bible.     Stanley 


GAINS  A    VICTORY.  11$ 

had  told  him  we  would  make  every  kind  of  thing  for 
him,  and  now  we  would  make  nothing"  I  showed 
the  absurdity  of  his  asking  me  to  make  everything 
with  my  two  hands,  while  his  2,000,000  of  people  went 
about  idle.  I  would  teach  them  what  I  knew,  that 
they  might  know  after  I  died.  This  I  had  always 
said,  and  had  asked  for  pupils,  but  had  got  none  yet. 
Mtesa  said  he  could  not  ask  the  people  to  follow  our 
religion  till  we  had  first  shown  our  skill  in  arts,  etc. 

Again  I  referred  to  the  bloody  charms,  and  ex- 
plained how  no  man  could  serve  two  masters,  by 
saying  I  could  not  be  true  to  his  interests  and  to  the 
Khedive's  also.  But  it  was  the  Word  of  God  alone 
that  was  my  authority,  and  that  he  said  he  read 
frequently.  Here  God  touched  his  heart.  A  few 
words  with  his  chiefs  in  their  own  language,  and  I 
saw  what  was  coming.  I  asked  leave  to  take  up  all 
the  bundles  and  burn  them.  Copplestone  ^  begged  me 
not  to  be  so  hasty,  but  Mtesa  ordered  the  lot  to  be 
taken  away,  and  forthwith  it  was  done,  and  now  no 
fetich  or  devil's  mark  lies  at  his  door.  We  talked  a 
little  more,  and  in  a  friendly  way,  and  our  lengthy 
sitting  was  soon  after  ended. 

The  chiefs,  who  had  sat  nearly  all  the  time  per- 
fectly mute,  being  dumfoundered  at  the  boldness  with 
which  I  spoke,  as  soon  as  we  got  out  crowded  round 
me,  and  embraced  me  after  the  Uganda  fashion. 

Copplestone  and  I  came  quietly  home,  and  I  now 

•  He  and  Stokes  joined  the  Mission,  April  8th,  1879. 


Ii6  ARRIVES  IN  UGANDA. 

thank  the  good  Lord  for  the  victory  the  truth  has 
this  day  gained. 

I  fully  believe  various  charms  will  be  wrought 
against  me  by  the  defeated  magic  men,  but  He  that 
is  with  me  is  greater  than  he  that  is  with  them.  May 
God  make  us  all  faithful,  but  also  humble  ! 

From  this  time  we  hear  of  Roman  Catholic  priests 
frequently  coming  into  open  collision  with  the  C.M.S. 
missionaries.  On  22nd  February,  1879,  ^"^^  arrived 
at  the  capital,  and  these  were  speedily  followed  by 
three  others.  These  were  part  of  a  host  of  men 
trained  at  Algiers,  and  sent  by  the  "  Notre  Dame 
d'Afrique  "  Society.  It  is  part  of  their  policy  to  send 
men  where  Protestant  Missions  are  already  planned 
or  at  work.  It  is  impossible  to  look  upon  this  rivalry 
with  pleasure,  because  it  is  confessedly  a  rivalry  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  creed  and  custom  against  the 
Protestant.  The  conduct  of  these  priests  at  first  was 
offensive  in  the  extreme.  They  refused  to  kneel  at 
prayer  in  worship  when  conducted  by  Mackay  at 
court.  They  openly  proclaimed  their  opposition  to 
the  teaching  of  the  C.M.S.  men  who  were  there  before 
them,  and  they  did  not  scruple  openly  to  proclaim 
them  liars.  Better  relations  were  afterwards  estab- 
lished, through  the  good  sense  and  courtesy  of 
Mackay  and  his  brethren,  and  by  the  common  danger 
which  both  Missions  had  to  share  ;  but  it  remains  a 
scandal  to  Christendom  that  this  Algiers  Mission 
should   openly  set  itself  in   opposition   to  Christian 


MTESA   REQUESTS  PRAYER.  117 

Missions  of  another  creed  when  working  amongst  the 
barbarous  races  of  Africa. 

Sunday,  May  nth. — I  went  early  to  court  alone. 
Found  the  padre  there,  but,  after  shaking  hands,  I 
sat  away  from  him.  King  sent  to  ask  if  I  had 
brought  my  book.  I  said  1  had,  so  we  were  sum- 
moned in.  Mtesa  begged  me  to  pray  as  well  as  to 
read.  The  padre  did  not  leave  his  seat,  nor  kneel 
down,  nor  even  join  in  the  Amens.  I  read  the  story 
of  Elijah  on  Mount  Carmel,  and  the  prophets  of 
Baal,  and  the  rain  from  heaven.  Mtesa  desired  me 
to  read  more ;  but  I  politely  refused,  as  I  wish  to 
make  a  delight  and  not  a  weariness  of  reading. 
Mon  Pere  did  not  say  a  word.  Mtesa  asked  him  if 
he  understood.  He  said,  "  A  little."  I  handed  him 
Kings  in  Suahili  to  look  at.  The  king  asked  if  he 
knew  it  He  replied  that  "  he  knew  it  a  little,  as  it 
was  out  of  the  Bible  !  " 

Saturday,  2^th. — We  had  talk  on  "  two  religions." 
He  said  he  would  not  have  two  religions  in  his 
country,  meaning  Islam  and  Christianity.  I  said  I 
had  little  fear  of  his  turning  a  Moslem  again,  but  he 
would  have  two  religions  when  he  had  Roman  Catho- 
lics and  Protestants  together.  The  Frenchmen,  he 
said,  would  not  read  prayers,  nor  teach  their  religion, 
at  least  they  had  not  yet  done  so.  I  merely  replied 
that  when  the  padres  had  all  come,  and  been  here 
some  time,  he  (Mtesa)  would  see  that  all  I  had  told 
him  about  them  was  quite  true. 


ii8  ARRIVES  IN   UGANDA. 

"Every  nation  of  white  men  has  another  religion  ?" 
"  No."  "  Perhaps  the  reh'gion  of  the  Frenchmen  is 
a  true  rehgion  ? "  "  It  is  hke  Mohammedanism,  a 
mixture  of  true  and  false.  We  believe  in  and  teach 
only  the  Word  of  God  ;  they  add  to  it  much  of 
man's  word,  as  of  equal  value." 

It  seems  to  me  that  God  has  allowed  these  false 
teachers  to  come  that  we  may  be  more  earnest  in 
teaching  the  truth.  Oh,  that  we  could  and  would 
use  the  short  time  we  have  more  to  God's  glory  ! 
We  did  what  we  could  to  keep  the  tares  from  being 
sown  when  the  first  Papists  turned  up;  but  we  failed, 
and  now  they  will  settle  in  the  country  beside  us. 
Well,  as  Christ  Himself  taught,  let  the  tares  grow 
up  along  with  the  wheat,  and  on  harvest  day  God 
will  gather  them  separately. 

Wedjiesday,  22>th. — Oh,  that  we  could  unite  with 
all  our  might  and  call  down  the  Spirit  and  power  of 
God  on  our  work  !  It  is  not  at  court,  but  among  the 
common  people  that  we  ever  can  have  real  success. 
Experience  of  the  most  successful  missionaries  shows 
that  work  among  the  young  is  the  most  hopeful  by 
far.  This  we  must  keep  ever  in  view.  May  the  Lord 
give  us  grace  to  unite  all  our  energies  in  the  great 
work — His  work — here!  The  work  is  gigantic,  and 
we  are  few  ;  but  if  we  live  united  to  Him  and  to  one 
another  in  love,  our  power  for  good  will  be  nothing 
short  of  the  mighty  power  of  God. 

Lord,  enable  us  to  search  our  hearts,  and  humble 
ourselves  before  Thee.     Oh,  for  a  closer  walk  with 


MORE   PRIESTS  ARRIVE.  119 

God,  more  faith,  more  sincerity,  more  earnestness, 
and  more  love  !  I  must  study  more  the  Word  of  God. 
"  If  ye  abide  in  Me,  and  My  words  abide  in  you,  ask 
whatsoever  ye  will,  and  it  shall  be  done  unto  you." 
The  Master  said  so,  and  His  words  are  true. 

Sunday,  Jtine  \st. — Stokes  and  I  took  a  walk  this 
evening  to  the  top  of  the  high  hill  to  the  south-west 
of  us.  Most  delightful  was  the  air  on  the  top.  We 
saw  Murchison  Bay  at  various  points,  and  a  great 
expanse  of  country  on  every  side.  The  population 
seems  dense — houses  and  gardens  in  every  valley, 
and  on  all  the  many  hill-slopes.  What  a  field  for 
labour !  If  we  could  only  talk  with  the  people  in 
their  own  tongue,  why  then  it  would  not  be  the  plea- 
sure of  the  king,  but  far  and  near  we  should  proclaim 
among  the  common  people  how  God  is  God,  and 
God  is  love.  I  do  not  believe  we  could  be  hindered 
in  doing  so.  We  know  as  yet  really  next  to  nothing 
of  the  people,  but  the  little  we  do  know  shows  them 
to  be  pleasant  and  friendly. 

The  Romish  priests  now  arrive  on  the  scene  in 
great  force,  and  much  trouble  follows.  The  king 
desires  baptism ! 

Friday,  2yth. — To-day  the  Frenchmen  had  their 
reception.  Their  presents  seem  to  have  been  admir- 
ably selected  ;  inter  alia :  five  repeating  rifles,  box  of 
powder  and  shot,  etc.,  embroidered  military  suits, 
cuirassiers'  helmets,  officers'  swords,  mirrors,  silver 
plate,  etc.,  etc. 


ARRIVES  IN    UGANDA. 


Sunday,  June  2C)t/i. — This  day  is  one  the  recollec- 
tion of  which  will  remain  on  my  own  mind,  and  on 
the  minds  of  all  at  court.  The  lesson  I  intended  to 
read  and  explain  was  the  last  three  chapters  of  St 
Matthew  (in  Suahili) — the  death  and  resurrection  of 
our  Lord.  I  went  to  court,  but  scarcely  expecting  any 
opportunity  of  reading,  as  the  day  was  so  dull.  By- 
and-by  it  became  finer,  and  the  chiefs  arrived.  Then 
M.  Lourdel  and  his  Superior  came  in  (to  the  outer 
courts).  I  rose  and  bowed  to  them,  but  M.  Lourdel 
did  not  introduce  me  to  his  colleague.  They  went 
and  sat  down  in  a  hut,  and  I  went  over  to  the  chapel, 
where  I  spent  a  pleasant  hour  in  teaching  the  first 
truths  to  a  circle  of  willing  fellows. 

About  mid-day  the  king  opened  baraza.  As  soon 
as  I  was  seated,  the  padres  were  shown  in,  and  sat 
down  beside  me.  Mtesa  did  not  allow  the  half- 
breeds  and  general  rabble  to  come  in,  and  the  usual 
noise  of  drums,  harps,  etc.,  outside  was  ordered  to 
cease. 

Then  I  was  asked  to  come  forward  to  read.  I 
showed  a  little  hesitation,  these  two  men  being  beside 
me  ;  but  the  Katikiro  and  chiefs  only  pressed  me 
more,  and  made  way  for  me.  They  all  knelt,  and 
after  opening  the  Prayer-Book  I  said  to  M.  Lourdel, 
at  my  side,  that  we  were  going  to  pray,  and  perhaps 
he  would  kneel  with  us.  Pie  said  he  did  not  under- 
stand me,  nor  would  he  understand  when  told  by  one 
of  the  others  in  Suahili.  So  I  went  on,  and  was  not 
interrupted  by  the  padres,  only  I  heard  one  whisper 


AN  ANGRY  PRIEST. 


to  the  other  Pater  nosier  when  I  was  reading  the 
SuahiH  version  of  it.  Prayers  being  over,  1  was 
asked  to  read  the  Scriptures  as  usual.  I  opened  the 
book  and  commenced.  The  first  sentence — "  Ye 
know  that  after  two  days  the  Son  of  Man  is  deHvered 
up  to  be  crucified  " — struck  them  by  its  accuracy  of 
prediction,  and  hence  its  testimony  to  the  divinity  of 
the  "  Son  of  Man."  I  never  got  farther.  Mtesa,  in 
his  abrupt  style,  said  to  Toll,  "  Ask  the  Frenchmen 
if  they  do  not  believe  in  Jesus  Christ  why  don't  they 
kneel  down  with  us  when  we  worship  Him  every 
Sabbiti  ?  don't  they  worship  Him  ?  " 

M.  Lourdel  was  spokesman.  He  became  all  at  once 
very  excited,  and  said,  "  We  do  not  join  in  that  re- 
ligion, because  it  is  not  true  ;  we  do  not  know  that 
book,  because  it  is  a  book  of  lies.  If  we  joined  in 
that,  it  would  mean  that  we  were  not  Catholics,  but 
Protestants,  who  have  rejected  the  truth.  For  hun- 
dreds of  years  they  were  with  us,  but  now  they  believe 
and  teach  only  lies."  Such  was  the  drift  of  his  ex- 
cited talk,  in  a  mixture  of  bad  Arabic,  Suahili, 
Luganda,  and  French  ! 

The  king  translated  the  meaning  to  the  court. 

Another  asked  me  what  I  had  to  say.  I  felt  sure 
that  the  moment  was  one  requiring  great  coolness 
and  great  firmness,  for  my  opponent's  excited  state 
might  prove  contagious  ;  while  his  repeated  denunci- 
ation of  me  as  a  liar  {imvoiigo)  could  not  be  easily 
disproved  on  such  an  occasion — nor  did  I  attempt  to 
disprove  it. 


ARKJVES  IN  UGANDA. 


I  endeavoured  to  give  the  king  a  simple  account  of 
the  history  of  the  Church,  and  why  we  had  left  Rome. 
I  stated  as  clearly  as  possible  that  our  authority  was 
the  Word  of  God  only,  that  the  Romanists  had  the 
Pope  as  their  head,  while  we  had  one  head — Jesus 
Christ.  I  tried  to  smooth  the  matter  by  saying  that 
we  had  one  belief  in  many  things — one  God,  one 
Saviour,  one  Bible,  one  heaven,  and  one  law  of  life. 

But  my  friend  would  have  no  terms  of  peace 
"  There  was  one  truth,  and  he  came  to  teach  that,  and 
we  were  liars !  We  were  liars  to  say  that  they  wor- 
shipped the  Virgin  Mary  ;  we  were  liars  to  say  that 
they  regarded  the  Pope  as  infallible.  The  Pope  was 
the  king  of  *  religion  '  in  all  the  world.  He  was  the 
successor  of  Peter,  who  was  the  successor  of  Christ. 
The  Pope  was  the  only  authority  to  teach  '  the  truth  ' 
in  the  world.  Wherever  we  came  to  teach  lies,  the 
Pope  sent  his  men  to  teach  the  truth.  If  what  he 
said  was  not  true,  he  would  die  on  the  spot,"  etc., 
etc. 

I  listened  calmly  to  all,  and  never  replied  to  the 
padre.  Only  when  the  king  asked  me  to  speak,  I 
quietly  told  him  how  the  "truth"  stood.  I  said  that 
he  should  first  hear  more  of  the  doctrines  of  the 
Frenchmen,  and  I  had  little  fear  of  a  man  of  his  in- 
telligence being  able  to  come  to  a  right  decision. 

"  How  can  I  know  what  is  right  and  what  is  false  ? " 
"  By  appealing  to  the  Book.  You  have  the  Gospel  in 
Arabic,  and  can  read  it."  "  Yes  ;  and  I  have  read  in 
it,  and  know  that  you  teach  only  out  of  it."     "  Well 


BEWILDERMENT  OF   THE   COURT.  123 

look  and  see  if  you  find  there  that  Christ  appointed 
a  line  of  popes  as  His  successors  to  teach  the  truth." 

Never  did  I  hear  the  word  niivongo  so  frequently 
used.  The  padre  was  really,  to  say  the  least,  not 
guilty  of  using  too  much  of  his  ndi.\\ve  politesse. 

His  Superior  seemed  to  me  at  times  to  be  persuad- 
ing him  to  be  quiet,  and  at  others  to  be  prompting 
him,  but  he  only  spoke  in  French.  I  could  not  but 
feel  sorry  for  the  king  and  his  chiefs.  Their  feeling 
of  hopeless  bewilderment  made  them  say,  "  Every 
white  man  has  a  different  religion." 

They  went  home,  and  so  did  I.  It  is  with  a  heavy 
heart  that  I  think  of  the  trouble  now  begun.  But  it 
is  the  great  battle  for  the  truth,  and  the  victory  will 
be  God's.  I  took  the  one  ground  that  we  must  ever 
fight  on  and  for — "  Christ  the  sole  head,  and  His 
word  the  only  guide." 

It  must  be  with  all  our  might  that  we  must  labour 
to  give  the  people  the  Scriptures  in  their  own  tongue, 
and  teach  them  to  read  and  understand  them.  Where 
will  Popery  be  then  .-' 

Sunday,  July  2'jth. — The  lesson  I  read  was  the 
third  of  John's  Gospel — the  second  birth.  After- 
wards the  Arabs  had  much  to  say  on  their  doctrine 
of  fatalism,  and  I  did  my  best  to  refute  their  blind 
belief.  Two  padres  were  present,  but  were  silent,  I 
took  care  in  the  lesson  to  say  nothing  to  rouse  their 
opposition,  unless  the  whole  subject  of  justification 
by  faith  might  be  regarded  as  contrary  to  their  creed. 
At  any  rate,  I  thank  God  that  they  were  quiet,  and 


124  ARRIVES  IN  UGANDA. 


did  not  spoil  our  service  other  than  by  constant 
whispering  between  each  other. 

Sunday,  August  loth. — The  lesson  I  took  was  "the 
two  debtors  "  who  had  "  nothing  to  pay,"  in  the  house 
of  Simon  the  Pharisee.  I  got  the  whole  audience 
interested,  and  therefore  attentive.  May  the  Lord 
bless  His  own  Word  ! 

By-and-by  the  king  called  us  in.  He  seems  just 
now  in  the  humour  for  cross-questioning  the  Moham- 
medans. Last  Friday  he  called  Musudi  (the  one- 
eyed  rogue)  forward,  and  posed  him  sorely  on  why 
they  did  not  translate  their  Koran  into  other  lan- 
guages. 

We  had  a  long  and  interesting  discussion  on  the 
Koran.  I  have  found  a  tendency  at  times  among 
the  people  to  undervalue  their  own  tongue,  and  wish 
to  learn  English  or  Suahili,  while  I  always  endeavour 
to  persuade  them  that  their  own  language  is  beautiful, 
and  that  they  should  all  learn  to  read  and  write  it, 
and  pray  in  it.  The  dogmatic  statements  of  the 
Arabs  are  as  ill-natured  as  they  arc  foolish  and  un- 
reasonable, and  I  firmly  believe  Mtesa  and  the  court 
laugh  at  them. 

To-day  the  king  brought  up  the  subject  of  wearing 
charms,  etc.  The  Arabs  asserted  the  saving  power  of 
pieces  of  the  Koran  being  always  worn  on  their  per- 
son. I  caused  much  laughter  at  their  expense  about 
this.  Kyambalango  took  up  the  matter,  and,  from 
his  own  experience,  related  many  cases  in  which  such 
charms  did  not  make  Mussulmans  invulnerable. 


WORKING  FOR  DAILY  BREAD.  125 

They  refused  to  believe  that  the  Turks  could  be 
beaten  by  the  Russians  when  the  former  carried  the 
flag  of  Islam ;  but  I  mentioned  an  instance  nearer 
home,  when  the  heathen  Mirambo  put  the  pious  men 
of  Unyanyembe  to  flight  more  than  once.  But  a 
blind  "  believer "  will  talk  much  nonsense  when  he 
cannot  talk  sense. 

This  evening  I  have  much  enjoyed  reading  the 
"  Trident,  Crescent,  and  Cross."  The  story  of  what 
God  has  done  in  another  land  does  much  to  refresh 
and  encourage  one  in  the  face  of  similar  difficulties. 

God  give  us  the  meekness  of  Him  who  did  not 
strive  nor  cry! 

"  Lessons  on  Life  of  our  Lord,"  by  Mr.  Stock,  I 
find  ever  a  most  valuable  book  in  preparing  the 
passage  for  Sunday  reading  at  court. 

Saturday,  2'^rd. — All  this  week  I  have  not  been  to 
court  since  Sunday.  Every  day  at  work  in  the 
smithy,  making  and  repairing  articles  belonging  to 
the  natives.  For  these,  goats  and  plantains  are  sent 
in  as  payment,  and  this  is  getting  pretty  necessary, 
as  we  have  nearly  nothing  to  buy  such  with. 

Sept.  1st. — Went  to  court.  Had  opportunity  to 
add  to  my  vocabulary  of  Luganda.  Phrases  and 
idioms  are  what  I  try  most  to  get  accurately.  I  see 
the  importance  of  being  very  accurate  in  securing 
words  and  phrases,  and  I  am  not  afraid  of  being  able 

•ft. 

to  far  outstrip  the  Frenchmen  in  that. 

Sunday,  yth. — Read  prayers  in  court,  and  took  up 
the   mission  of  the  twelve  and    the  seventy.     Mtesa 


126  ARRIVES  IN  UGANDA. 

asked,  when  I  had  finished,  about  baptism.  "  Could 
any  one  baptize  ?  "  "  No."  "  Can  you  ?  "  "  No  ;  but 
the  clergyman  is  qualified  to  do  so."  "  I  wish  to  be 
baptized  and  my  chiefs."  I  then  told  him  that  bap- 
tism could  not  be  performed  on  any  except  true 
believers,  and  these  we  judged  not  by  their  words, 
but  by  their  actions.  He  asked  me  to  explain  more 
fully.  I  told  him  that  we  judged  a  good  tree  by  its 
fruit  being  good  ;  that  many  were  ready  to  say  that 
they  believed,  and  were  willing  to  become  Christians  ; 
but  who  were  ready  to  live  as  Christians  ?  I  saw  no 
one  yet  laying  aside  lying,  stealing,  witchcraft,  murder, 
Sabbath-breaking,  and  such  like.  After  further  talk, 
I  asked  him  if  he  would,  for  instance,  be  willing  to 
lay  aside  polygamy,  and  be  content  with  only  one 
wife.  I  said  that  we  could  not  baptize  a  man  who, 
in  his  daily  life,  went  right  against  the  commands  of 
God.  He  said  that  he  knew  that  the  Uganda  custom 
in  this  produced  many  evils,  and  he  had  once  made 
up  his  mind  to  live  two  years  with  no  wife  at  all ;  but 
after  two  months  he  returned  to  the  old  way 

We  next  see  him  in  the  king's  presence  vigorously 
opposing  the  Arabs  and  their  blind  belief ;  also 
glimpses  of  him,  with  tools  in  hand,  working  hard  at 
the  bench  for  daily  bread,  surrounded  with  pupils 
spelling  out  their  reading-sheets,  etc. 

Thursday,  nth. — Yesterday  I  was  at  court,  when 
a  great  argument  was  held  on  the  Koran.  Mtesa 
had  asked   the  half-breeds  to  read  a  passage  about 


CONFLICT   WITH  MUSSULMANS.  127 

Solomon  sending  a  letter  by  an  eagle  to  a  distant 
queen,  whom  he  afterwards  vanquished  for  refusing 
to  pay  him  tribute.  Mtesa  asked  me  what  I  thought 
of  the  story.  I  replied  that  it  was  very  nice  ;  but 
was  it  true  ?  *'  Oh,  Mohammed  got  it  direct  from 
heaven  I "  they  said.  I  explained  that  most  of  the 
accounts  of  ancient  Jews  given  in  the  Koran  were 
obtained  from  the  Jewish  Talmud,  which  was  simply 
a  collection  of  unreliable  traditions.  It  was  absurd 
to  talk  of  things  being  revealed  by  God  only  1,200 
years  ago,  which  were  known  to  the  Jews  for  hun- 
dreds of  years  before  Mohammed's  day.  The 
Mussulmans  stormed  terribly  at  this,  and  denied 
that  such  a  book  as  the  Talmud  existed,  or,  if  it 
did,  they  had  nothing  to  do  with  it. 

Tuesday,  \6th. — Terrific  conflict  with  the  Mussul- 
mans again.  They  blasphemed  terribly  against  the 
assertion  that  our  Saviour  was  Divine.  Mtesa  had 
given  out  that  he  regarded  every  one  as  a  blockhead 
(injinga — simpleton)  who  could  not  read.  He  then 
spoke  on  translating,  and  jested  about  the  absurdity 
of  the  Koran  being  a  book  for  all  people,  seeing  that 
it  could  not  be  translated  into  Luganda.  Masudi 
(the  one-eyed)  and  Ramathan  were  the  chief  speakers. 
The  Superior  of  the  French  mission  was  present,  but 
said  nothing,  and,  I  believe,  understood  very  little. 
The  Mussulmans  are  themselves  only  ill-informed  on 
their  own  creed,  but  are  correspondingly  fanatical. 
They  are,  besides,  glib  talkers,  and  talk  any  one  down 
with  ease. 


128  ARRIVES  IN  UGANDA. 


Wednesday,  lyth. — Went  to  court  this  inornirifj,  as 
I  expected  a  renewal  of  yesterday's  battle,  being 
almost  sure  of  there  being  a  baraza,  as  last  night  the 
new  moon  was  first  visible.  This  closes  the  Rama- 
dan fast  of  the  Mohammedans,  and  they  are  particu- 
larly zealous  just  now.  The  half-breeds  were  strong 
in  numbers,  and  stormed,  blasphemed,  and,  above  all, 
lied  furiously. 

To  the  great  amount  of  absurdities  they  brought 
forward  about  the  prosperity  and  power  of  Mussul- 
man nations  in  the  world,  I  replied  nothing.  I  told 
the  king  that  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  was  a  thing 
quite  apart  from  temporal  power  ;  that  Jesus  Christ 
was  a  poor  man,  and  His  reh'gion  was  not  one  of  the 
sword.  Lourdel  assented  to  this,  and,  in  fact,  we 
stood  fast  together  all  through. 

The  Mohammedans  railed  on  us  as  the  worshippers 
of  pictures,  as  having  more  gods  than  one,  and,  above 
all,  as  being  mainly  intent  on  conquest. 

Mtesa  began  again  about  baptism.  We  would  not 
baptize  him,  and  he  wanted  an  English  wife,  and  I 
would  not  give  him  one !  He  would  not  have  me  to 
teach  any  more  unless  I  should  get  him  a  princess 
from  Europe !  I  told  him  of  the  nature  of  such 
arrangements  with  us.  "  Peradventure  the  woman 
will  not  come."  He  was  astonished  when  I  said  that 
no  woman  could  be  married  without  her  consent.  I 
brought  forward  the  saying  of  our  Lord,  that  "  he 
that  putteth  away  his  wife  and  marrieth  another, 
committeth   adultery."     I  received  the  very  answer  I 


THE  NICENE    CREED.  129 


expected — "  I  have  no  wife  ;  my  women  are  all 
slaves." 

Sunday,  21st. — Went  to  court  alone  and  held 
service.  Yesterday  I  had  gone  over  and  improved 
my  Luganda  version  of  the  prayers,  and  this  morning 
I  read  the  revised  form.  Instead  of  the  Apostles' 
Creed  I  have  translated  the  Nicene  Creed,  as  the 
latter  is  more  explicit  on  the  divinity  of  our  Lord, 
and  this  is  the  great  question  just  now,  as  the  Mus- 
sulmans declare  Him  to  be  only  a  prophet ;  while 
on  the  other  hand,  the  new  teaching  of  Mary  being 
the  "Mother  of  God"  is  well  met  in  this  creed;  while 
the  short  creed,  I  find,  has  not  sufficiently  guarded 
against  such  an  inference.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  be 
able,  in  ever  so  imperfect  a  manner,  to  have  prayers 
in  such  a  language  as  all  present  can  join  intelli- 
gently in,  and  this  they  did  to-day. 

The  first  part  of  our  lesson  was  the  feeding  of  the 
five  thousand.  In  connection  with  that,  Munakulya 
(a  mutongole)  has  begged  me  to  teach  him  a  grace  to 
say  at  meals.  Such  a  subject  is  full  of  instruction  to 
an  audience  like  what  one  finds  here,  where  daily  food 
is  got  with  no  toil. 

Then  came  the  most  important  and  most  oppor- 
tune subject — "  Whom  say  ye  that  I  am  ?  "  (Luke  ix.) 
Without  alluding  to  the  debates  of  the  previous  days, 
I  dwelt  much  on  the  great  fact  of  "  God  manifest  in 
the  flesh."  I  turned  up  passage  after  passage  show- 
ing the  testimony  of  all  the  evangeh'sts,  of  angels,  and 
of  Jesus  Himself,  to  His  oneness  with  the  Father.    It 

A.  M.  M.  9 


I30  AKR/VES  IN  UGANDA. 

was  in  the  chapel  (not  in  the  king's  presence)  where 
we  had  service  ;  but  the  Katikiro  and  many  chiefs 
were  present,  and  joined  most  attentively  in  consider- 
ing this  great  question.  I  hope  (D.V.)  to  continue 
the  same  subject  next  Sunday. 

Sunday,  2W1. — The  chapel  was  full,  those  of  lesser 
rank  sitting  outside.  After  reading  prayers  in  Lu- 
ganda,  I  went  over  again  the  subject  of  last  Sunday, 
showing  that  the  united  testimony  of  prophets, 
angels,  apostles,  and  the  Lord  Himself  was  that  He 
was  no  less  than  the  Son  of  the  living  God,  and  the 
one  Saviour  of  the  world.  Then  came  the  special 
subject  for  to-day — the  value  of  an  immortal  soul. 

Such  lessons  are  by  no  means  over-formal,  but  are 
given  much  in  the  way  in  which  Moslem  teachers 
explain  the  Koran.  We  all  sit  on  the  floor,  on  mats, 
and  in  a  familiar  way  I  endeavour  to  inculcate  the 
great  truths  of  eternity.  Many  listen  attentively ; 
and  as  their  habit  is  to  repeat  over  their  understand- 
ing of  each  clause,  I  get  an  idea  of  how  far  they  have 
caught  my  meaning,  and  derive  no  little  encourage- 
ment also  in  thus  feebly  fulfilling  so  great  a  dut)-. 
It  is  an  awful  position  to  stand  between  darkness 
and  the  light  of  life. 

I  had  just  finished,  when  the  king  asked  us  into  his 
house.  He  had  a  lot  of  books  (Arabic  N.  T.,  etc.) 
by  him  last  Sunday.  The  two  Masudis  were  there, 
and  Mtesa  asked  them  if  they  had  brought  a  book 
they  had  many  days  ago  promised  to  bring  as  con- 
clusively proving   something  Mohammedan.      They 


MTESA'S   CONFESSION.  131 

had,  and  read  largely  from  it.  Then  I  asked  to  be 
allowed  to  read  Christ's  own  testimony  as  to  His 
divinity,  and  the  king  bade  me  read.  The  Mussul- 
mans maintained  that  at  the  end  of  the  world  their 
prophet  would  come  to  be  the  judge  of  all.  I  re- 
fused to  argue  on  the  matter,  but  read  aloud  the  24th 
chapter  of  St.  Matthew.  Mtesa  acknowledged  that 
he  believed  in  our  Lord  as  the  Son  of  God  from  all 
eternity,  and  as  the  only  future  Judge  of  the  world. 
He  seems  to  take  pleasure  in  discussion,  however. 

I  liked  exceedingly  Mtesa's  behaviour  to-day.  I 
often  think  there  is  the  work  of  God  in  his  heart.  We 
must  only  pray  earnestly  that  the  Lord  will  give  him 
grace  to  be  a  real  disciple.  It  is  no  small  matter  for 
such  as  he  to  leave  the  way  of  his  forefathers  and  live 
a  Christian. 

L  feel  truly  thankful  that  now  our  opportunities  of 
public  teaching  at  court  are  not  confined  to  these 
occasions  of  controversy  in  court,  which  at  best  are 
a  secondary  means  of  good.  Teaching  directly  from 
the  Word  of  God  in  our  Sunday  lessons  in  the 
chapel,  where  no  one  has  ever  yet  interrupted  me, 
will,  I  believe,  be  of  more  real  value.  But  the  bless- 
ing is  only  of  God. 

Friday^  Oct.  yd. — This  afternoon  I  had  a  visit 
from  one  of  the  king's  sons — a  young  fellow,  but 
really  "  a  bonny  boy."  This  is  the  first  time  that  any 
of  them  have  ventured  here.  Much  I  would  give 
that  we  could  influence  for  good  all  the  young 
princes.      One  of  them   will   by-and-by  be  selected 


132  ARRIVES   IN  UGANDA. 

king,  and  a  really  Christian   king  in  Uganda  would 
be  the  dawn  of  a  new  era. 

Sunday,  Oct.  $th. — Kyambalango  kept  me  long 
reading  with  him  early.  Went  to  court,  and  had 
prayers  in  chapel.  Resumed  consideration  of  the 
same  subject  as  last  Sunday  :  "  If  any  man  will  come 
after  Me,  let  him  deny  himself."  I  spoke  very 
plainly  and  solemnly  on  this,  and  had  all  listening 
seriously.  I  pressed  the  truth  home,  and  hope,  by 
God's  blessing,  that  several  felt  in  some  measure  the 
gravity  of  the  theme.  Then  we  went  to  the  ordinary 
waiting-place,  when  we  had  dinner.  This  over, 
Mtesa  called  us  in — chiefs  only.  We  had  much 
serious  conversation  with  him.  He  sent  out  for  a 
catechism  which  Lourdel  had  given  him  in  French 
and  Suahili — the  same  one  which  M.  Lourdel  had 
read  part  of  some  time  ago  to  the  king  in  my  pre- 
sence. Mufta  read  a  portion  of  this  with  my  help, 
as  the  Suahili  in  it  is  spelt  in  a  French  way,  and 
is  besides  very  poor.  The  first  chapters  are,  on  the 
whole,  less  full  of  error  than  those  later  on.  It 
begins : — 

"  I.  Q.  What  is  a  Christian  ?" 
"A.  A  man  who  has  received  baptism," 
"  2.  Q.  Is  every  man  who  has  received  baptism  a 
Christian  ?  " 

"A.  Yes  ;  but  all  are  not  good  Christians." 
Farther  on  comes   the  treatment  of  the  adoration 
of  the  Virgin,  purgatory,  extreme  unction,  etc.    When 
this  was  over,  the  chiefs  began   telling  Mtesa  what 


RELIGION  AND  LIFE.  I33 

I  had  been  impressing  on  them  in  the  chapel.  The 
subject  of  polygamy  then  was  talked  on  for  some 
time.  I  told  them  that  I  fully  recognised  the  diffi- 
culty of  the  case,  but  said  that  we  also  should  go 
in  for  many  wives  were  it  not  that  the  plain  com- 
mand of  God  was  against  it.  I  said  that  they  could 
still  keep  their  households  of  women  as  servants. 
The  Mussulmans  had  again  much  to  say.  They 
declared  that  polygamy  had  nothing  to  do  with 
religion.  I  asked  their  chief  advocate,  "  How  many 
wives  have  you  }  "  "  Four."  "  Why  not  five  ? " 
This  they  knew  to  be  an  injunction  of  their  creed, 
and  could  not  answer.  They  then  maintained  that 
religion  was  a  thing  of  pure  belief,  and  had  nothing 
to  do  with  manner  of  life.  I  asked,  "  Then  why  did 
you  not  join  the  chiefs  and  me  in  the  food  which 
the  king  sent  out  to  us  just  now?"  They  were 
floored  again,  and  Mtesa  and  the  whole  court  laughed 
heartily  at  them. 

The  king  said  that  he  had  asked  the  Frenchmen 
about  polygamy,  and  Lourdel  had  told  him  that  he 
should  have  only  one  wife.  "  We  want  to  do  what 
is  right  in  this  matter,  and  long  ago  I  have  con- 
sidered the  question,  but  never  could  see  how  to 
arrange  it.  I  was  always  unwilling  to  say  much  on 
the  subject,  as  I  feared  my  chiefs  would  denounce 
me."  It  was  gratifying  to  hear  the  king  talk  thus. 
The  Katikiro  said  also  that  I  had  told  them  to-day 
that  their  responsibility  was  great,  seeing  they  now 
knew  so  much   of  the  truth,   if  they  did  not   do  as 


134  ARRIVES  IN   UGANDA. 

well  as  hear.  The  difficulty  is  this  :  At  present  a 
man's  status  is  reckoned  by  his  establishment,  which 
depends  on  the  number  of  his  wives.  These  cook 
the  food,  and  do  all  the  work. 

"  How  is  a  man  to  get  on  with  only  one  wife 
and  several  children  in  his  house .-' "  asked  the  king. 
"  Who  will  look  after  the  goats,  cook  the  food  .■• "  etc. 
I  said  that  we  in  Europe  had  women  servants  always 
in  the  house  ;  but  they  were  not  our  wives,  and  need 
not  be  necessarily  wives  here  either. 

I  have  never  seen  the  matter  so  seriously  discussed 
before,  and  I  only  pray  the  mighty  Lord  will  enable 
them  to  decide  for  Him  and  not  for  the  flesh. 

Mtesa  put  some  curious  questions  about  prophets. 
It  appears  that  the  Arabs  had  told  him  the  other 
day  that  the  prophets  (Adam,  Abraham,  Joseph, 
Solomon,  whom  they  call  prophets)  were  all  poly- 
gamists,  and  were  yet  of  God.  Mtesa  asked  me  if 
there  were  any  prophets  of  the  devil.  I  told  him  that 
these  (Adam,  etc.)  were  not  prophets,  but  that  David 
and  Moses  were,  and  many  more,  and  that  these 
latter  were  men  of  God,  and  foretold  the  coming  of 
the  Messiah.  He  said  that  he  did  not  want  to  have 
anylhing  to  do  with  prophets  of  the  deviV  and  meant 
to  follow  Jesus  Christ  and  His  prophets.  Strange 
to  say,  the  Moslems  held  their  peace  to-day,  and  I 


'  I  did  not  guess  then  what  was  in  his  mind,  and  that  pro- 
phets of  the  devil  were  the  lubares,  or  witches  of  the  country. — 
A.  M.  M. 


EXPECTS   CONVERSIONS.  135 


took  care  to  say  nothing  that  would  directly  rouse 
their  opposition. 

I  have  heard  it  in  letters  from  friends  that  Mtesa 
is  only  a  hypocrite,  and  has  no  real  desire  for  the 
truth.  This  may  be  somewhat  so,  but  it  is  also  more 
than  somewhat  not  so.  The  natural  man  cares  not 
for  the  things  of  God.  It  is  true  no  less  in  England 
than  in  Uganda,  that  the  "  carnal  mind  is  enmity 
against  God,  and  is  not  subject  to  the  will  of  God, 
neither  indeed  can  be." 

But  where  is  our  faith  ?  Is  it  not  our  prayer,  and 
is  it  not  and  has  it  not  been  the  prayer  of  a  multitude 
of  God's  people  at  home,  that  the  Gospel  should  take 
root  here  in  the  heart  of  the  king  and  people  of 
Uganda }  Are  we  then  to  cease  to  expect  what  we 
pray  for }  And  are  we  to  disbelieve  our  eyes  and 
ears  v.'hen  we  see  the  first  signs — they  may  be  faint 
signs — of  the  work  of  the  Spirit  in  the  heart  of  the 
king  and  of  more  besides  .'' 

As  my  father  writes,  "  Conversion  is  truly  a  miracle, 
and  nothing  but  the  Spirit  of  God  can  effect  it." 
"  Ask  of  Me,  and  I  will  give  thee  the  heathen  for 
thine  inheritance,  and  the  uttermost  parts  of  the 
earth  for  thy  possession."  It  is  not  foolish  enthu- 
siasm that  would  lead  me  to  trust  this  Word  of  the 
living  God.  I  believe  it,  and  there  will  be  converts 
here  to  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  Weak  enough  is 
our  teaching,  and  even  weaker  yet  our  life  testimony; 
but  even  a  grain  of  faith  will  do  to  render  that  little 
effective,  for  there  is  a  mighty  unseen  power  behind. 


136  ARRIVES  IN  UGANDA. 

Lord,  give  us  faith.  Any  we  ever  have  comes  from 
Thee.  Give  us  more.  Faith  is  the  power  that  moves 
the  hand  that  moves  the  universe.  It  is  hke  the 
engine-driver's  hand,  that  moves  the  valve  that  sets 
the  locomotive  a-going.  It  is  but  a  small  force  that 
is  needed  to  move  the  lever  that  opens  the  valve, 
but  that  once  moved,  the  strange  invisible  power 
flows  in,  and  the  mighty  machine  is  in  motion.  The 
highest  works  of  man  are  but  a  feeble  symbol  of  the 
actings  of  that  great  unseen  power  that  moves  the 
universe.  Yet  they  form  a  resemblance,  though 
faint,  for  "  God  made  man  in  His  own  itnage." 

Sunday ,  Oct.  \2tJi. — As  soon  as  we  had  taken  our 
seats  in  the  chapel,  and  all  the  chiefs  had  got  seated, 
and  we  were  about  to  begin,  Mtesa  sent  for  us  to 
come  in  to  him.  First  he  got  all  noise  stopped,  and 
bade  the  whole  company  outside  sit  as  close  to  the 
door  as  possible  that  they  might  hear.  Then  he 
asked  me  to  read.  Prayers  being  over,  I  read  in 
Luke  ix.  the  account  of  the  transfiguration,  and  how 
our  Lord  answered  the  dispute  among  the  disciples, 
"which  of  them  should  be  the  greatest."  I  alluded  to 
the  claim  of  the  Roman  Catholics  to  Peter's  pre-emi- 
nence, and  I  hope  the  bringing  of  all  such  questions 
to  the  test  of  the  Word  of  God  will  be  regarded  as 
the  only  true  solution  of  difficulties.  Still,  I  said,  that 
it  was  a  minor  point  this  one  of  Pope  or  no  Pope, 
compared  with  the  all-important  one  so  often  dis- 
cussed— is  Jesus  the  Messiah,  the  Son  of  God,  or  only 
a  prophet }     That  was  the  greatest  of  all  questions. 


CARVING    WOODEN   TYPES.  137 

Yesterday  I  spent  the  day  in  carving  wooden  types 
for  making  reading-sheets.  I  hope  these  will  be  a 
small  beginning  in  aiding  our  efforts  at  diffusing 
reading  and  other  useful  knowledge. 

Monday,  13///.— All  day  carving  wooden  types, 
which  give  a  good  impression  in  the  printing-press. 
It  is  slow  work,  and  I  have  only  succeeded  in  making 
ten  after  hours'  work.  Gave  reading  lessons  all 
early  morning  and  the  afternoon.  This  is  my  birth- 
day, and  I  find  I  am  now  thirty  years  old.  When 
I  look  back,  it  is  a  life  of  strange  vicissitudes  that 
1  have  had.  Hitherto  the  Lord  hath  helped  me,  and 
led  me  in  a  strange  way,  notwithstanding  my  count- 
less shortcomings.  Above  all,  I  bless  His  great  name 
that  I  have  been  spared  to  reach  this  place,  while 
so  many  of  my  comrades  have  fallen  on  the  way,  and 
have  been  privileged  to  teach  the  glorious  Gospel 
to  the  people  that  have  so  long  been  in  darkness. 
Really  there  is  nothing  else  so  well  worth  living  for. 
Only  one  score  years  and  ten  is  a  short  span,  and 
mine,  I  fear,  cannot  be  much  longer  than  it  is  to-day. 
But  I  am  in  the  hands  of  my  gracious  and  merciful 
Father,  and  His  dealings  with  me  have  ever  been 
those  of  love,  and  I  feel  certain  that  the  days  that 
remain  to  me — be  they  few  or  be  they  many — will 
only  overflow  with  His  goodness  and  mercy. 

Thursday,  i6th.  —  Have  given  away  and  taught  a 
host  of  the  alphabets  printed  from  the  types  I  have 
finished  cutting.  Pupils  increase  in  number  every 
day ;    some    learn  slowly,   some  quickly.     Many  are 


138  ARRIVES  IN  UGANDA. 

getting  a  knowledge  of  reading.  Writing  I  am  be- 
ginning to  teach  on  the  native-made  boards.  Paper 
we  cannot  afford,  as  our  stock  is  very  small. 

Sunday,  \()th. — Went  to  court,  and  had  service  in 
the  chapel.  Our  lesson  was  the  remainder  of  Luke 
ix.,  and  I  pressed  the  audience  to  consider  that  they 
had  put  their  hand  now  to  the  plough,  and  must  not 
look  back.  Christ  gave  up  His  glory  to  save  us  ; 
we  must  also  give  up  something  to  be  His  followers. 

In  the  early  morning  I  had  Kyambalango  reading 
the  Suahili  Scripture  lessons,  and  all  afternoon  I 
have  been  inundated  with  visitors,  some  reading  St 
Matthew's  Gospel,  and  others  spelling  out  their 
reading-sheets.  Yesterday  I  had  four  chiefs  in  at 
once,  and  to-day  several  also.  Another  chief  began 
reading  with  me  the  other  day,  and  has  so  far  made 
rapid  progress.  Most  of  those  that  read  with  me 
know  Suahili  pretty  well  ;  in  fact,  they  are  the  only 
ones  almost  that  do  know  it  well. 

Sunday,  26lh. — Went  to  court,  and  read  prayers 
and  gave  them  a  lesson  afterwards  on  the  "  Good 
Samaritan,"  and  the  "  One  thing  needful  "  (Luke  x.). 
One  chief  had  a  copy  of  the  Koran,  which  he  was 
pretending  to  read,  although  I  know  he  did  not 
understand.  When  our  service  was  over,  I  asked 
that  he  should  give  us  the  benefit  of  what  he  had 
found  in  his  book.  He  replied  that  he  had  been 
reading  that  God  was  our  Father!  I  explained  to 
the  whole  audience  that  such  a  truth  was  not  in  the 
Koran   to  my  knowledge,  as  in  the  creed   of  Islam 


KEEPING    THE  SABBATH.  I39 

Allah  was  a  distant  being  to  fear  and  dread,  and  not, 
as  Christ  taught  us,  "  our  Father  and  our  Friend." 
That  God  is  love,  seems  to  me  the  essence  of  our 
cieed,  and  I  ever  like  to  speak  to  men  of  God  as 
being  such. 

Afterwards  a  baraza  was  held.  Mtesa  was  very 
pleasant,  and  we  had  much  conversation,  in  which  I 
spoke  decidedly  against  witchcraft  in  every  form, 
above  all  as  manifested  in  such  a  being  as  Mukasa, 
the  god  {lubare)  of  the  Nyanza,  who  is  at  present  at 
Ntebe,  and  has  for  some  months  prevented  any 
canoes  from  starting  for  Uganda  southwards.  Court 
was  quiet,  as  usual  on  Sundays,  and  Mtesa  had  his 
Bible  and  other  books  before  him.  I  was  astonished 
to  hear  the  judge  tell  some  men  who  came  with  a 
case  for  trial  that  he  could  not  hear  them  to-day,  as 
it  was  Sabiti. 

Monday,  2yth. — All  day  occupied  with  readers  at 
various  stages.  Some  I  hear  in  the  house,  while 
others  I  take  into  the  workshop  and  teach  them, 
while  I  am  busy  at  the  vice.  Had  serious  talk  to-day 
with  Kyambalango,  Munawa,  and  others,  on  the  evils 
of  polygamy.  I  fully  believe  to  see  an  end  now  to 
this  barbarous  custom,  which  is  sapping  the  life  of 
half  the  community,  especially  in  the  higher  circles. 

Thursday,  '^ptli. — Took  with  me  to  court  over  a 
dozen  sheets  of  large  alphabets,  which  we  had  printed 
from  the  types  I  cut.  Mtesa  was  delighted  with 
them,  and  distributed  them  at  once  among  his  chiefs 
and   others.     He  gave  me  paper  to  make  more  of 


I40  ARRIVES  IN   UGAMDA. 

the  same,  as  our  stock  of  stationery  is  exhausted, 
except  the  very  little  we  retain  to  write  to  England 
upon.  I  find  he  has  had  the  Suahili  service  written 
out  by  Edi  in  Arabic  characters,  and  had  ordered 
the  same  to  be  written  out  on  boards  by  all  his  body 
guard,  chiefs,  and  pages.  Meantime  he  ordered  the 
boards  to  be  laid  aside  that  they  might  learn  to  read 
the  printed  alphabets.  We  hope  soon  to  print  the 
service  in  Suahili,  and  to  turn  out  enough  copies 
in  our  press  to  serve  for  many  worshippers. 

In  the  afternoon  Mtesa  had  a  regular  school,  having 
sent  for  all  his  chiefs,  soldiers,  etc.  (of  the  guard), 
and  those  whom  we  have  been  teaching,  Mukasa,' 
who  has  read  with  me  for  some  months,  pleased  the 
king  so  much  by  his  reading  that  he  was  promoted 
on  the  spot  to  be  our  mutongole,  and  to  look  after 
the  chapel  and  its  concerns.  Another  lad,  whom  I 
taught  some  time  ago.  named  Kadu,  and  a  favourite 
attendant  of  the  king's,  has  also  been  promoted  to 
the  rank  of  sub-chief,  and  has  got  a  large  plantation. 

Nov.  1st,  1879. — Food  is  very  hard  to  get,  and  many 
a  day  I  have  had  to  work  hard  at  the  vice  and  lathe 
to  get  plantains,  which  you  know  stand  to  us  instead 
of  bread.  This  interferes  very  much  with  the  time 
I  might  have  at  my  disposal  for  teaching  reading 
and  religion  ;  but  somehow  or  other  I  get  a  good  deal 
of  that  done  also,  and  in  a  place  like  this,  where  the 
people   are  above  doing  any   work,    my  example   in 

'  Of  course  this  is  not  Mukasa  the  lubare. 


HOSTS  OF  PUPILS.  141 

the  workshop  may  not  be  lost.^  Invariably,  when 
at  the  bench,  I  have  several  pupils  reading  and 
spelling  out  their  sheets  all  the  time  I  work.  Even 
while  I  am  writing  this,  I  have  two  chiefs  in  reading, 
with  several  of  their  slaves,  who  even  beat  their 
masters  in  sharpness. 

We  find  our  work  growing  in  our  hands ;  and  now 
I  can  confirm  what  I  said  in  my  last,  that  the  desire 
to  learn  is  ever  increasing  among  the  chiefs  and 
people.  Hosts  of  people  come  to  us  every  day  for 
instruction — chiefly  in  reading,  of  course  ;  and  as  we 
put  portions  of  the  Scriptures  into  their  hands  as 
soon  as  they  get  over  the  first  difficulties  of  reading, 
we  have  very  frequent  means  of  instructing  them  in 
the  truths  of  eternity. 

I  have  cut  large  types  in  wood  and  in  lead  for 
our  alphabets  and  reading-sheets,  and  with  a  small 
fount  of  lead  type  which  we  have,  we  are  able  to  keep 
our  little  printing-press  constantly  going — in  fact, 
we  cannot  make  it  keep  pace  with  the  demands  on 
us  for  matter  to  read. 

Already  we  are  able  to  put  into  the  hands  of 
the  people  short  pieces  in  their  own  language ;  and 
the  pleasure  we  receive  in  hearing  them  read  these. 


*  "  Practical  living  knowledge  is  quite  as  great  and  surely 
quite  as  important  as  dead  theories  ;  and  without  question,  he 
who  only  knows  what  is  and  can  be  taught  in  the  schools,  knows 
very  little.  .  .  .  The  teacher's  practical  skill  will  make  a 
great  difference  ;  in  the  esteem  of  the  public  he  will  rise  not  a 
little." — SeideVs  Industrial  Instruction. 


142  ARK  IVES  IN   UGANDA. 

and  understand  them  makes  us  feel  amply  rewarded 
for  the  labour  we  have  had  hitherto,  and  encourages 
us  to  go  on  to  greater  things. 

The  first  glimpses  of  our  work  bearing  fruit  are 
also  appearing  ;  and  although  nothing  is  so  successful 
as  success,  and  it  is  success  we  look  for,  and  so  far 
as  we  are  concerned  we  should  not  seek  to  stop 
short  of  its  attainment,  yet  it  is  only  God  that  can 
give  the  increase. 

Wednesday,  Nov.  ^th. — Printed  a  lot  of  large-typed 
sheets  of  syllables,  and  easy  words  in  Luganda.  Our 
fount  of  these  letters  is  unfortunately  incomplete, 
being  only  on  to  p  (some  dozen  or  so  of  each  letter), 
but  we  have  got  very  good  syllables,  etc.,  as  far  as 
the  letters  go.  I  hope  to  cast  and  cut  letters  for 
the  rest  of  the  alphabet,  as  the  type  is  very  good, 
and  a  capital  step  between  the  large  alphabets,  which 
we  print  from  the  wooden  blocks,  and  the  small  type 
supplied  with  the  press. 

Thursday,  6th. — This  day  is  the  anniversary  of 
my  arrival  at  this  place.  Praised  be  the  good  and 
loving  Father  of  all,  who  has  bestowed  on  us  and  on 
our  work  so  much  blessing  and  prosperity  since 
then,  in  spite  of  our  imperfect  service  and  our  con- 
stant unfaithfulness.  I  have  much  reason  to  rejoice 
that  matters  have  turned  out  as  they  have  done,  in 
spite  of  the  gloomy  prospect  not  many  months  ago, 
and  the  still  gloomier  forebodings  of  the  members 
of  our  mission  here. 


HEATHEN  SUPERSTITIONS. 


•  We  are  helpers,  fellow-creatures, 

Of  the  right  against  the  wrong ; 
We  are  earnest-heavted  teachers 

Of  the  truth  which  makcth  strong — 
Yet  do  we  teach  in  vain  ? " 

A  Drama  of  Exile. 

"A  new  name  I  am  getting  here  — 'the  Anti-Mukasa.'     This 
has  no  reference,  however,  to  a  sofa-cushion  ! " — A.  M.  Mackay. 


CHAPTER  V. 

HEATHEN  SUPERSTITIONS. 

IN  his  journal  at  this  time  Mackay  gives  very  full 
and  interesting  accounts  of  some  of  the  super- 
stitious beliefs  and  practices  of  the  natives  ;  but  the 
chief  interest  of  these  records  with  most  people  will 
be  the  picture  they  present  of  the  fervent  zeal  of 
Mackay,  and  the  restless  energy  with  which  he  plies 
Mtesa  and  the  chiefs,  sometimes  in  open  court,  and 
then  privately  one  by  one,  with  arguments  to  break 
down  their  superstitions  and  to  receive  the  Word 
of  God  as  their  guide.  His  bold  and  intelligent 
appeal  to  the  Scriptures  seems  to  have  deeply  im- 
pressed Mtesa,  and  this  habit  of  referring  all  ques- 
tions to  the  Word  of  God  became  in  the  end  the 
chief  factor  in  the  mental  and  spiritual  revolution 
which  in  the  course  of  years  passed  over  vast  num- 
bers of  the  Baganda, 

Sunday,  Nov.  30//?,  1879. — For  our  lesson  I  read 
and  explained  the  parable  of  the  Great  Supper,  and 
tried  to  make  the  subject  as  practical  as  possible. 
We  did  not  see  the  king,  but  understood  that  after 
we  left  he  had  an  audience,  at  which  only  some  three 
or  four  of  the  head  chiefs  were  admitted.     It  is  said 

A.  M.  M.  ^*s  10 


146  HEATHEN  SUPERSTITIONS. 

that  the  main  subject  of  conversation  at  court  is 
whether  Mukasa,  the  "  spirit,"  is  to  come  to  see 
Mtesa,  or  Mtesa  be  carried  to  see  him.  At  all  events 
Mukasa  has  left  the  Lake,  an'l  is  now  quartered 
about  a  mile  to  the  south-west  of  our  shmnba.  His 
drums  every  day  are  a  trial  to  our  ears.  He  is  ex- 
pected to  heal  the  king  by  a  single  word  !  But  he 
must  wait  for  the  new  moon  before  he  commences 
his  incantations. 

Sunday,  Dec.  yth. — Went  to  court,  and  had  prayers 
in  chapel,  the  place  being  to-day  exceptionally 
crowded.  During  prayer,  I  am  happy  to  say  that 
perfect  quiet  is  preserved,  and  all,  more  or  less  atten- 
tively kneel  and  join  in  worship.  I  refuse  always  to 
commence  until  the  drum-beating  outside  and  other 
noises  are  stopped. 

During  the  lesson  which  follows,  I  have  not  been 
able  to  get  the  attention  of  more  than  the  half  of 
those  present,  i.e.,  those  sitting  near.  This  is  partly,  if 
not  altogether,  due  to  the  Katikiro,  who  is  interpreter 
from  Suahili  into  Luganda,  not  talking  in  a  suffi- 
ciently loud  voice,  so  as  to  be  heard  by  all.  Hence 
those  behind  take  to  reading  whatever  they  can  get 
their  hands  on — alphabets,  sheets,  gospels,  etc.  ;  and 
the  disturbance  thus  produced  is  by  no  means  small. 
By  tact  and  quiet  requests  to  leave  their  papers  and 
listen  to  the  lesson,  I  think  it  will  be  quite  possible 
to  gain  the  attention  of  all.  To-day  I  stopped  in 
the  middle  of  the  parable — the  Prodigal  Son — to  ask 
a  group,  who  were  spelling  out  a  page  of  S3'llables 


A   NEW  PRAYER.  147 

behind,  to  listen  to  the  story  of  the  lost  one  found. 
Had  it  been  anything  else  than  a  parable,  I  should 
have  had  difficulty  in  getting  their  attention  ;  but 
the  fascinating  story  triumphed,  and  I  think  they 
learned  at  last  that  a  prodigal  can  only  get  his  belly 
filled  with  the  husks  here  below,  and  that  the  only 
true  satisfying  food  is  from  above. 

I  read  a  new  prayer  to-day  in  chapel,  asking  our 
God  to  overthrow  every  device  of  Satan,  and  every 
usurpation  of  omnipotent  power  by  a  wizard,  that  all 
men  might  know  that  Jehovah  is  God  alone.  By  the 
assistance  of  my  pupil  teacher  (Mukasa),  I  rendered 
this  carefully  into  Luganda  yesterday  ;  and  the 
breathless  silence  which  attended  my  reading  of  that 
in  chapel,  followed  by  Amens  from  all,  was  striking. 
May  the  Almighty  hear  and  answer!  I  heard  several 
talking  about  it  afterwards,  and  some  came  to  get  me 
to  explain  fully  what  I  thought  of  the  lubare.  I  was 
hearing  the  Katikiro  and  some  others  reading  a 
chapter  at  the  time,  and  had  to  put  off  the  inquirers. 

After  lunch  Mtesa  sent  for  seven  or  eight,  but  not 
more,  of  the  chiefs,  with  myself,  and  two  of  the  Arabs. 
He  said  he  had  many  questions  to  ask  ;  and  I  only 
hoped  some  of  them  were  on  the  witchcraft  question. 
I  had  my  Bible  in  my  hand,  and  had  carefully  con- 
sidered how  I  might  show  from  the  Scriptures  the 
evil  of  dealings  with  familiar  spirits. 

The  king  began  by  saying  he  had  experienced 
slight  earthquakes  on  three  occasions  in  the  present 
palace,    and   wished  an    explanation.     Then  he  had 


148  HEATHEN  SUPERSTITIONS. 

questions  about  the  relative  size  of  the  earth,  moon, 
sun,  and  stars.  After  these  were  discussed,  I  was 
just  about  to  open  the  subject  of  the  wizard,  when 
he  dismissed  the  court.  May  God  grant  me  another 
occasion  to  teach  His  truth  on  this  important  ques- 
tion !  "  He  that  believeth  shall  not  make  haste." 
His  own  time  will  be  the  best  time.  May  I  not  fail 
to  redeem  it ! 

At  present  the  name  Mukasa  is  in  every  one's 
mouth.  This  morning  I  met  scores  of  loads  of 
plantains  being  sent  him  by  the  king.  Cattle,  hens, 
etc.,  and  women  have  been  also  sent  him  by  Mtesa. 

Thursday,  Dec.  iit/i. — This  is  a  day  for  which  I 
lift  up  my  heart  to  our  gracious  Lord  and  Father  for 
His  grace  and  love.  The  morning  was  fine,  and,  after 
a  couple  of  hours'  teaching,  I  went  to  court  alone. 
Baraza  was  already  commenced  After  various 
matters  were  over,  I  saw  the  king  was  in  better  spirits 
than  on  Sunday,  and  after  an  interval  of  silence, 
I  stepped  forward,  and  sat  down  before  the  king. 

I  said  I  wished  permission  to  ask  one  word  of  him. 
Mtesa  replied,  "  Say  on." 

"  What  is  a  lubare  ?"  I  asked.  The  question  took 
all  by  surprise,  some  smiling  because  they  knew  the 
folly  of  the  lubare  s  claims  ;  others  made  signs  of 
displeasure,  because  they  considered  the  hibare's 
claims  undisputed.  Mtesa  received  my  question  in 
good  part,  and  began  explaining  that  the  word  lubare 
was  equivalent  to  the  word  pepo  in  Suahili  {Jini  in 
Arabic).     He  then  went  on  to  some  story  about  the 


FAMILIAR  SPIRITS.  149 

remains  of  his  ancestors  being  preserved  by  certain 
persons  who  were  either  regarded  as  holding  converse 
with  the  departed  spirits  of  the  kings,  or  were  them- 
selves possessed  of  certain  spirits. 

I  said  that  there  was  no  such  thing  as  mediums  of 
the  kind,  or  spirits  being  represented  by  living  men. 
Those  who  said  that  they  possessed  familiar  spirits 
were  only  liars  ;  that  there  were  many  such  in 
Uganda,  but  the  chief  of  them  all  was  the  lubare — 
Mukasa.  I  believed  he  himself  had  little  confidence 
in  the  powers  of  such  pretenders,  but  I  had  heard 
that  several  of  his  chiefs  had  been  advising  him  to  go 
to  the  liibare  to  get  cured.  "  I  sit  before  you,"  I  said, 
■'  your  servant  and  the  servant  of  Almighty  God,  and 
in  His  name  I  beg  of  you  have  no  dealings  with  this 
lubare,  whether  a  chief  tries  to  persuade  you  to  do 
so,  or  a  common  man  advises  you." 

The  king  assented  to  my  statement,  and  translated 
my  words  to  the  court.  I  continued  that  if  this 
Mukasa  is  a  liibai-e,  then  he  is  a  god,  and  thus  there 
are  two  gods  in  Uganda — the  Lord  God  Almighty 
and  Mukasa  ;  but  that  if  Mukasa  is  only  a  man, 
as  many  said  he  was,  then  there  are  two  kings  in 
Uganda — Mtesa,  whom  we  all  acknowledge  and 
honour,  and  this  Mukasa,  who  gives  himself  out  as 
some  great  one 

Mtesa  caught  my  meaning  at  once,  and  translated 
again  to  the  court.  He  said  that  he  was  intending 
to  hold  a  council  of  his  chiefs  with  a  view  of  coming 
to  some  resolution  on  the  matter.     I  said  that  now 


ISO  HEATHEN  SUPERSTITIONS. 

was  the  time,  for  if  he  did  not  believe  in  the  Inhare 
as  being  an  enemy  to  God's  truth,  he  could  soon 
bring  the  chiefs  to  see  the  absurdity  of  the  preten- 
sions of  this  fellow. 

The  king  then  commenced  questioning  the  chiefs. 
"What  is  a  lubare  ?"  An.swer,  "  Maandiua"  {lit.  di 
bull,  called  so  from  the  immoral  life  they  lead). 
"What  is  Maandiva  ?"  Answer,  "  Miilogo''  (a  wizard 
or  sorcerer).  "  What  is  a  Aluiogo } "  Answer, 
"  Miintu  "  (a  man).  "  Then  if  he  is  a  man  he  is  not 
a  lubare,  for  a  Jubare  is  a  spirit,  or  god."  I  was  de- 
lighted to  leave  the  king  himself  thus  to  discuss  the 
matter.  The  Mussulmans  repeatedly  tried  to  inter- 
rupt me,  and  even  the  king,  by  their  talk  ;  for,  al- 
though they  oppose  all  belief  in  other  gods  except 
Allah,  yet  they  have  faith  in  genii,  etc.  They  were 
ordered  to  keep  silence,  however;  and  what  I  stated 
further  tended  to  attract  their  assent  rather  than  their 
opposition  to  my  statements. 

I  said  that  this  Mukasa  was  practically  causing 
rebellion  in  the  country,  for  he  disobeyed  Mtesa's 
orders,  and  asserted  his  right  over  the  Lake  as  before 
that  of  the  king.  It  was  more  than  five  months 
since  he  (Mtesa)  had  ordered  his  traders  (the  Arabs) 
to  be  supplied  with  boats  to  go  to  Usukuma,  yet 
these  traders  were  not  yet  able  to  start,  by  Mukasa's 
counter-orders.  This  was  a  state  of  things  that  should 
not  be  allowed  to  exist.  In  the  Book  of  God  I  was 
prepared  to  show  him  that  both  in  the  Old  and  New 
Testaments  all  sorcerers  were  denounced  as  liars,  and 


THE   KING  ASKED    TO    CHOOSE.  151 

were  ranked  in  the  lowest  scale  of  iniquity.  l\Toses 
commanded  them  to  be  put  to  death.  In  our  own 
country,  in  times  past,  they  were  put  to  the  stake. 
But  we  did  not  as  Christians  sanction  such  a  severe 
measure,  nor  did  we  come  here  to  advise  the  shedding 
of  blood  ;  but  still,  on  looking  at  the  express  com- 
mand of  God  as  stated  in  His  Book,  we  did  advise 
that  every  man  who  deceived  people  into  believing 
that  he  was  possessed  of  a  spirit  should  be  ordered 
to  cease  such  deception,  and  if  he  chose  to  continue 
it,  he  should  be  sent  to  prison.  Those  men  were 
great  liars,  and  Mukasa,  as  the  head  lubare,  v>^as  the 
greatest  liar,  and  the  greatest  rebel  in  the  country. 

Mtesa  seemed  rather  delighted  at  the  decidedness 
with  which  I  spoke,  and  translated  everything,  even 
recurring  to  the  other  way  I  put  it  -"if  Mukasa  is  a 
god,  we  have  two  gods ;  if  he  is  a  man,  then  there 
are  two  kings  here."  Those  who  at  first  were  inclined 
to  defend  the  evil  genius  had  at  length  nothing  to 
say  for  him.  The  Katikiro  mentioned  that  Lukonge 
called  himself  god  of  the  south  end  of  the  Lake.  One 
of  the  Arabs  recommended  waiting  a  couple  of  days 
to  see  what  Mukasa  had  to  say  for  himself  "What 
was  to  be  done  ?  "  was  the  question. 

"  Lukonge,"  I  said,  "  is  a  heathen,  and  knows  not 
God."  "But  I  know  God,"  Mtesa  responded.  "Yes, 
it  is  because  you  know  God,  and  I  believe  wish  to 
serve  Him,  that  I  now  ask  you  to  choose  one  or  the 
other,  and  not  honour  an  enemy  of  God.  In  all  his- 
tory  we    read   that  God   was  with    every  king   that 


152  HEATHEN  SUPERSTITIONS. 

feared  Him,  while  those  who  went  astray  after  other 
gods  came  to  an  end  of  shame.  God  has  said, 
'Them  that  honour  Me,  I  will  honour;  but  those 
that  despise  Me  shall  be  lightly  esteemed.' " 

Some  loads  of  plantains,  etc.,  were  at  this  moment 
presented,  and  other  disturbances  arising,  Mtesa  gave 
me  to  understand  that  the  subject  should  drop  for 
the  time,  but  he  should  attend  to  what  I  had  said. 
I  thanked  him,  and  retired  to  my  seat. 

There  was  some  talk  afterwards  about  his  sickness, 
and  about  the  rumour  of  a  white  woman  having  come 
alone  from  the  coast  unarmed,  and  commencing  to 
settle  in  Ukerewe.  The  king  also  said  that  he  had 
heard  of  an  old  man  (an  Englishman)  being  on  the 
way  from  Zanzibar  to  Uganda.^ 

When  court  was  dismissed,  I  had  many  a  friendly 
shake  of  the  hand  with  the  chiefs  ;  and  while  I  was 
greeting,  with  perhaps  more  than  usual  frankness, 
those  I  thought  were  the  strongest  advocates  of  the 
lubare,  I  was  pleased  to  find  that  they  seemed  quite 
friendly,  although  some  of  them  gave  me  the  curious 
look  of  those  who  felt  that  I  had  gained  a  victory 
over  them.  The  Katikiro  was  especially  polite,  and 
told  me  that  he  had  found  my  runaway  boy,  and 
would  have  him  sent  back  to  me.  I  had  not  said  a 
word  to  him  on  the  subject,  as  I  fancied  his  head 
slave  had  determined  to  keep  my  boy,  and  I  did  not 
like  to  press  the  matter. 

*  This  might  have  been  Dr.  Mullens.— yi.  M.  M. 


READERS  AT  ALL   HOURS.  153 

Chimbugwe,  the  chief  who  is  over  all  the  king's 
household,  and  is  his  more  constant  companion  than 
any  other,  asked  me  for  a  Gospel.  I  sent  him  one 
afterwards.  (St.  John  is  the  only  Suahili  book  I 
had  a  number  of.) 

On  the  way  home  I  called  on  Sembuzi,  who  gave 
me  a  present  of  a  load  of  Indian  corn  in  cobs.  I 
told  him  a  little  of  the  talk  at  baraza,  and  he  allowed 
me  to  carry  away  his  principal  charm — a  miniature 
shield  and  spear. 

Yesterday  I  sent  to  the  king  two  pairs  of  steel 
pincers,  which  one  of  the  coastmen  had  made  him 
some  time  ago,  but  which  were  so  roughly  done  that 
Mtesa  sent  me  them  to  finish.  I  hope  he  is  now 
satisfied  with  them. 

Readers  in  at  all  hours.  This  week  I  have  many 
new  ones.  If  I  get  an  hour  or  two  at  any  time  in  the 
workshop,  I  generally  have  some  one  reading  with 
me  while  I  work  at  the  vice  or  forge. 

Much  I  feel  my  feebleness  in  trying  to  teach  the 
truth  of  God  to  the  king  and  his  people.  But  no 
word  of  man,  however  strong,  can  prevail  against  the 
great  powers  of  evil.  Only  the  Spirit  of  the  living 
God  working  in  the  hearts  of  all  can  effect  that  which 
we  desire  to  see — the  overthrow  of  evil,  and  the 
establishment  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ  in  this  land. 
God  give  us  faith  to  pray  for  that  believingly  ! 

Sunday,  Dec.  i^tJi. — The  day  was  very  fine,  and 
many  were  present  at  service.  After  prayers,  instead 
of  our  usual  reading  in   St.   Luke,  I  turned  up  the 


154  HEATHEN  SUPERSTITIONS. 

Scriptures  from  Exodus  to  Revelation,  reading  a  host 
of  passages  to  show  tlie  mind  of  God  towards  dealers 
in  witchcraft.  The  laws  of  God  to  Moses,  the  example 
of  Saul  and  Ahaziah,  the  manifestation  of  our  Lord 
to  destroy  the  works  of  the  devil,  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles — especially  the  case  of  Elymas — the  works 
of  the  flesh  contrasted  with  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit  in 
Gal.  v.,  and,  finally,  the  list  of  those  who  may  not 
enter  through  the  gates  of  the  heavenly  city  (Rev. 
xxii.  15),  All  these  I  read  in  order,  having  previously 
written  out  the  passages  in  Suahili. 

I  had  wonderful  attention  to-day — much  more  than 
usual.  This  was  partly  due  to  Chambalango  acting 
as  interpreter,  as  he  is  much  better  heard  than  the 
Katikiro.  The  subject  was  a  very  practical  one 
besides,  especially  at  present. 

I  was  gratified  to  hear  one  of  the  chiefs  say  that 
the  list  of  passages  read  was  enough  to  set  the  matter 
at  rest,  and  there  could  be  no  more  dispute  as  to  the 
unlawfulness  of  witchcraft. 

The  other  day,  when  Mukwenda  was  in,  he  of  his 
own  accord  cut  off  two  charms  he  was  wearing  on  his 
arms,  and  gave  them  to  me.  He  did  so  as  a  proof 
that  he  has  no  faith  in  the  lubare. 

Sunday,  2\st.  —  Held  prayers  in  perfect  quietness. 
Before  commencing,  I  had  a  sober  talk  with  the 
audience  on  witchcraft.  The  chiefs  seemed  to  me  to 
be  somewhat  ashamed  of  their  belief  in  this  absurd 
pretender — Mukasa. 

After  prayers,  instead  of  reading  and  explaining  a 


DECORUM  IN    WORSHIP.  155 

chapter  as  usual,  I  made  a  sort  of  introductory  lecture, 
as  being  close  on  Christmas  Day.  I  went  ov^er  the 
history  of  God's  dealings  with  man,  from  the  fall  to 
the  New  Testament  era.  I  tried  especially  to  show 
the  provision  which  the  Lord  has  made  for  ever-sin- 
ning man,  by  the  great  sacrifice  of  His  own  Son.  I 
explained  also  how  even  the  chosen  nation  at  all 
times  fell  into  idolatry,  and  God  had  finally  to  cause 
them  to  cease  to  be  a  nation  at  all. 

One  or  two  fellows  who  were  laughing  and  making 
a  disturbance  in  a  corner  were  repeatedly  reproved 
by  the  others,  and  I  was  glad  when  they  left. 
The  general  feeling  is  in  favour  of  decorum  during 
our  lesson,  although  their  notions  of  decorum  are 
loose  enough.  It  will  only  be  when  the  Lord  makes 
His  love  felt  in  their  hearts  that  there  will  be  the 
proper  reverence  paid  to  His  word  and  ordinances. 
Yet  I  believe  even  our  feeblest  efforts  are  blessed 
more  or  less.  It  is  not  the  manifest  amount  of  reve- 
rence or  attention  that  is  the  real  measure  of  the 
amount  of  good  efi'ected.  "  The  kingdom  of  God 
Cometh  not  with  observation." 

Last  night  I  heard  that  the  king  had  given  orders 
to  a  lot  of  chiefs  to  build  hurriedly  some  houses  within 
the  court  for  Mukasa.  I  did  not  take  much  notice 
of  the  report,  except  to  ask  Koluji — a  Mutongole 
who  had  always  been  a  great  friend  of  mine — if  the 
story  was  true.  He  told  me  that  he  had  heard 
nothing  about  it,  and  that  he  had  been  unwell. 

On  my  way  home  I  met  one  of  my  pupils  (a   lad), 


156  HEATHEN  SUPERSTITIONS. 

who  told  me  that  )-cstcrday  all  the  chiefs  had  supplied 
men  to  build  three  houses  for  Mukasa  in  the  king's 
inner  court,  and  that  they  had  worked  late  by  moon- 
light to  have  them  finished,  against  the  arrival  of  the 
lubare  on  Monday  morning. 

I  felt  my  heart  overflow  with  sadness  at  this.  I 
had  pleaded  earnestly  in  court  ten  days  before  against 
the  folly  of  witchcraft.  Last  Sunday  I  had  turned 
up  passage  after  passage  in  the  Bible,  and  shown  from 
the  Word  of  God  that  witchcraft  is  sinful,  and  to 
leave  the  worship  of  the  Almighty  to  follow  lies,  is  to 
err  exceedingly.  Sore  was  my  heart  with  disappoint- 
ment now  to  find  no  better  result  than  if  I  had  said 
nothing  on  the  subject  at  all. 

After  a  mouthful  of  breakfast  I  set  off  to  visit 
several  of  those  chiefs  who,  I  believe,  were  most  open 
to  conviction  on  the  subject. 

I  first  called  on  Kyambalango,  and  saw  him 
privately.  I  expressed  my  deep  sorrow  at  the  deter- 
mination of  the  court  to  receive  this  deceiver  with  all 
honour,  especially  after  he  and  many  of  the  chiefs, 
and  the  king  himself,  had  expressed  to  me  their  belief 
that  the  hibare  was  a  liar  and  impostor.  Kyamba- 
lango said  he  knew  I  was  right,  and  that  they  were 
doing  wrong.  He  said  he  would  come  to  me  next 
morning  at  dawn,  when  we  should  consult  as  to  how 
the  evil  might  yet  be  checked.  {He  did  not  keep 
his  word,  however,  for  he  neither  came  to  me  next 
morning,  nor  did  I  see  him  afterwards  at  court.) 

Next  I  went  up  to  the  palace.     In  the  usual  outer 


REBUKES  LYING.  157 


court  I  found  a  few  sub-chiefs,  and  among  them 
Munakulya  and  Koluji.  I  said  to  Koluji  that  it 
was  not  only  unfriendly  in  him  to  have  said  he  knew 
nothing  about  the  building,  but  it  was  sinful  to  say 
he  knew  noticing  about  it,  when  he  had  actually  been 
engaged  on  the  work.  The  others  present  laughed  at 
the  exposing  of  Koluji's  falsehood.  I  told  them  all 
that  I  knew  they  felt  ashamed  at  having  built  houses 
for  this  Mukasa,  who,  I  had  often  told  them,  was  a 
deceiver.  But,  I  said,  they  had  done  no  wrong,  and 
had  acted  perfectly  right  in  obeying  the  king's  order. 
They  were  bound  to  do  exactly  as  he  said.  Only  to 
deny  having  done  so  was  to  lie,  and  that  was  quite 
in  keeping  with  the  lubarc,  whom  they  respected  so 
much  ;  but  it  was  a  sin  against  God. 

I  then  went  to  see  the  Katikiro.  As  usual,  he  was 
buried  in  his  harem,  and  I  did  not  find  him.  I  went 
through  a  lot  of  his  private  courts,  and  found  in  one 
a  lot  of  charms,  consisting  of  a  miniature  fence  of 
reeds  a  metre  long,  and  about  a  metre  high,  with 
three  miniature  shields,  and  some  branches  of  wands 
tied  to  a  small  tree. 

Next  I  called  on  Sekibobo,  the  greatest  chief,  except 
Mukwenda,  who  is  only  a  lad.  He  received  me  very 
kindly,  and  asked  me  to  help  him  to  read  a  page  or 
two  of  a  Suahili  hymn-book  he  had.  I  spoke  to 
him  about  the  folly  of  mixing  up  the  worship  of 
Jehovah  with  that  of  a  man  v\ho  lived  by  deceiving 
people.  In  the  morning  he  had  listened  attentively 
in  chapel  when  I   spoke  about  the  same — how  they 


158  HEATHEN  SUPERSTITIONS. 

joined  in  worshipping  God  on  one  day  in  the  week, 
and  reverenced  a  servant  of  the  devil  on  other  days. 
Sekibobo  denied  having  had  any  share  in  building 
the  houses  for  the  lubare,  or  in  bringing  him  here. 

Pie  presented  me  with  a  huge  goat,  which  I  asked 
him  to  delay  sending  till  to-morrow,  as  the  day 
was  Sunday,  while  I  promised  to  give  him  what  he 
urgently  asked  strongly  for — a  larger  Suahili  book. 

Next  I  called  on  Kago.  He  was,  as  usual,  very 
friendly,  and  told  me  also  that  he  knew  nothing  of 
the  buildings  for  the  lubare  last  night  in  the  palace 
grounds.  We  had  a  deal  of  talk  on  the  nothingness 
of  charms,  which  he  wears  in  abundance  on  his  per- 
son, while  over  his  door  a  few  score  are  suspended. 
I  was  offered  a  goat,  but  declined  till  next  day. 

On  my  way  home  I  called  on  Sembuzi,  and  after- 
wards on  VVakibi.  They,  like  all  the  rest,  have 
nothing  to  say  in  defence  of  the  pretended  wizard. 
I  came  home  at  dark  pretty  well  tired. 

I  have  laid  the  matter  earnestly  before  the  Lord 
God  in  prayer,  that  He  may  open  the  dark  eyes  of 
their  understanding,  and  teach  them  by  His  own 
Spirit  that  He  is  God  alone. 

Monday,  22nd. — This  is  another  day  for  which  I 
have  much  reason  to  praise  the  Lord,  while  I  have 
been  taught  it  is  not  of  man,  nor  by  the  will  of  man, 
but  by  the  Spirit  of  God  alone,  that  men's  hearts  are 
moved.  I  got  the  Katikiro  to  promise  to  send  my 
letters  to  the  Frenchman,  who  I  found  had  started 
half  an  hour  before. 


USES  HIS   OPPORTUNITY.  159 

I  chaffed  him  about  his  charms  which  I  saw  in 
his  court  yesterday  afternoon.  He  pretended  to 
know  nothing  of  them  !  Of  course  I  could  not  say 
he  was  a  liar,  although  to  have  said  so  would  be  the 
truth.  I  only  said,  "  When  we  return  from  court 
I  shall  come  with  you,  and  show  you  where  the 
charms  are,  and  you  can  throw  them  away  ! " 

On  my  way  to  court  I  heard  many  people  laugh- 
ing, some  in  scorn  at  me,  and  others  merely  from  the 
amusement  in  prospect.  They  spoke  among  them- 
selves about  the  chances  being  small  that  I  should 
gain  admittance. 

After  waiting  some  time  with  the  chiefs  in  the 
ordinary  court,  Mtesa  opened  barasa,  and,  although 
the  crush  was  great,  we  all  got  in.  Lourdel  pre- 
sented the  king  with  a  gun  and  some  powder  and 
shot.  A  native  produced  a  gun  (two-barrelled),  the 
stock  of  which  had  been  carved  by  himself  with  the 
boar's  head  exactly  after  the  pattern  of  the  Belgian 
guns.     It  was  wonderfully  well  fitted  and  carved. 

A  very  few  minutes  after  we  were  seated,  I  rose 
and  sat  down  in  front  of  the  king.  I  thought  it  well 
to  commence  at  once,  as  then  there  was  little 
chance  of  Mtesa  taking  it  into  his  head  to  dismiss 
court  to  save  discussing  a  difficult  subject.  Lourdel 
was  close  by  me  all  the  time,  and  Pearson  ^  was  on 
a  stool  behind.  I  was,  of  course,  squatting  like  a 
tailor  on   the   floor,  as  all  the  chiefs   and  Arabs  do. 

'  One  of  three  gentlemen  who  joined  the  Mission,  by  the 
Nile  route,  Feb.  i4tb,  1879. 


i6o  HEATHEN  SUPERSTITIONS. 

Mtesa  seemed  to  know  what  I  meant  to  talk  about, 
and  I  felt  not  a  little  encouraged  by  liis  giving  orders 
for  all  music  and  other  noises  outside  to  cease  at 
once. 

I  began  by  asking  if  it  was  now  his  pleasure  that 
I  should  cease  teaching  the  Word  of  God  at  court  on 
Sundays.  He  said,  "  No  ;  not  by  ^ny  means."  I  said 
that  now  he  and  his  chiefs  had  made  up  their  minds 
to  bring  to  stay  at  court  the  lubare,  whom  he  (Mtesa) 
allowed  to  me  the  other  day  to  be  a  deceiver,  that 
I  had  no  right  to  interfere  with  his  orders  or  whom 
he  chose  as  his  guest ;  only  this  visitor,  for  whom 
preparations  were  made,  was  no  ordinary  guest,  but 
was  looked  up  to  by  the  people  as  possessed  of 
powers  which  belonged  to  God  alone  ;  that  we  could 
not  mix  up  the  worship  of  God  Almighty  with  the 
worship  of  a  man  who  was  the  enemy  of  God.  Mtesa 
listened  attentivelj',  and  then  said  to  his  chiefs,  "  Do 
you  hear  what  Mackay  says .-'  He  says  that  we 
cannot  bring  the  lubare  here  without  offending  God." 
One  of  the  chiefs  replied  that  the  lubare  was  only 
coming  with  medicine  to  heal  the  king.  I  replied 
that  the  lubare  was  not  merely  a  doctor,  but  was 
looked  up  to  by  all  as  a  wizard,  and  as  being  able  to 
heal  people  by  enchantment.  Mtesa  allowed  that 
I  was  right,  and  said  he  knew  very  well  that  this 
Mukasa  was  coming  to  use  witchcraft.  I  said  further 
that  we  should  only  be  delighted  if  Mukasa  could 
cure  the  king,  and  neither  I  nor  any  one  else  could 
object   to  his    bringing    medicine    for   that    purpose. 


THE  KING  ASSENTS.  i6i 

The  king  went  on  to  say  that  Gabunga  (chief  on  the 
Lake)  had  come  some  time  ago  to  say  that  Mukasa 
was  able  to  cure  him.  "  Bring  his  medicine,  then," 
said  Mtesa.  Jumba  brought  some  ;  but  said  it  was 
of  no  use  unless  the  hibave  was  present  himself  to 
perform  the  cure.  "  This  and  that  other  fellow," 
continued  Mtesa,  "  says  that  he  is  a  Maandwa,  and 
that  the  spirit  of  my  ancestors  has  gone  into  them  ; 
but  do  you  think  I  believe  that  ? "  I  said  that  I 
believed  he  had  more  sense  than  to  believe  anything 
of  the  kind  ;  for  when  a  man  dies,  his  soul  returns 
to  God,  so  that  these  fellows  were  only  liars,  and 
deceived  the  people.  The  king  replied,  "  What  you 
say,  Mackay,  is  perfectly  true,  and  I  know  that  all 
witchcraft  is  falsehood."  I  thanked  him  for  this 
statement,  but  the  Katikiro  and  other  chiefs  showed 
themselves  very  ill-pleased.  They  saw  no  harm  in 
the  liibare  being  received  with  all  honour.  He  would 
make  medicine  which  they  would  hang  up  in  the 
palace-houses,  as  Mukasa  was  a  great  medicine- 
man. I  repeated  that  medicine  was  an  excellent 
thing,  but  it  was  not  medicine  that  Mukasa  got 
so  great  a  name  for,  or  that  they  regarded  him  as  a 
lubare  for  ;  but  that  he  was  a  great  diviner,  and  wished 
the  people  to  believe  him  a  god. 

The  king  assented  again  strongly  to  this,  and 
called  forward  one  of  the  coast  men — Ramathan — 
who  is  said  to  be  an  Afghan  from  Cabool.  (There 
is  a  Belooch  also  at  court — a  gathering  of  nations 
here  !)     Ramathan   at   first  saw  that   the  king  was 

A.  M.  M.  II 


1 62  HEATHEN  SUPERSTITIONS. 

assenting  to  my  statements,  so  he  also  assented,  and 
said  that  if  tliis  hibare  were  able  to  cure  the  king, 
he  should  have  done  so  long  ago,  as  Mtesa  had  now 
been  ill  for  two  years. 

After  further  talk,  when  he  saw  that  the  chiefs 
were  strongly  in  favour  of  the  hibare^  Ramathan 
veered  over  to  their  side,  and  said  that,  as  raw  flesh 
of  a  day  old  did  not  ever  corrupt  anything,  there 
could  be  no  harm  done  in  letting  the  bibare  settle 
in  the  palace  for  a  day  or  two. 

I  said  that  I  could  not  hinder  the  king  having  the 
lubare  as  many  days  at  court  as  he  liked,  only  I 
found  it  my  duty  to  tell  him  that  his  encouraging 
this  false  person  would  have  a  powerful  effect  in  the 
country  in  confirming  the  faith  of  the  people  in 
witchcraft,  in  which  he  (Mtesa)  himself  did  not  be- 
lieve. I  took  my  stand  on  the  Word  of  God,  which 
said  that  all  who  used  witchcraft  were  enemies  of 
God. 

Mtesa  said  that  he  did  not  know  what  to  do,  as 
his  mother  and  her  friends  were  the  main  advocates 
of  the  lubare,  and  it  was  they  who  first  advised  him 
(Mtesa)  being  carried  to  see  the  wizard ;  and  when 
he  declined,  on  the  ground  of  sickness,  they  got  him 
to  have  the  wizard  brought  here.  He  did  not  know 
how  to  get  out  of  the  fix,  for  he  knew  that  it  was 
wrong,  yet  his  mother's  people  wished  it.  I  replied 
that  we  were  ready  to  show  all  honour  and  respect 
to  his  mother  and  relations,  but  God  was  greater 
than  all ;  and  I  advised  him  to  choose  which  he  would 


CONSULTS    THE   QUEEN-MOTHER.  163 

serve.  I  had  no  more  to  say,  and  soon  after  the 
king  dismissed  the  court. 

I  left,  feeling  thit  I  had  the  king's  ear,  but  that 
several  of  the  chiefs  were  strongly  opposed  to  me. 

Before  court  broke  up,  the  king  called  forward 
Kago  and  another  chief — both  great  advocates  of 
the  bibare — and  deputed  them  to  go  to  his  mother 
and  the  other  old  women  {aunts,  etc.),  and  say  that 
he  (Mtesa)  did  not  wish  to  have  the  lubare  brought  to 
court,  but  that  he  wished  to  hear  what  they  had  to  say. 

In  the  afternoon,  when  Mufta  was  with  me,  he 
was  sent  for  by  the  king,  who  was  holding  another 
court.  I  believe  that  Kitunzi  was  there  present,  and 
advising  the  king  strongly  against  having  anything 
more  to  do  with  the  white  man's  religion,  as  it  was 
only  a  preliminary  step  to  taking  the  country  that 
we  were  now  teaching.  Ramathan  was  also  present, 
and  was  talking  much  against  us. 

Mufta  was  told  to  leave,  and  go  back  to  me,  which 
he  did.  A  third  baraza  was  held  in  the  evening,  but 
what  transpired  I  do  not  know. 

Tuesday^  2yd. — This  morning  Mukwenda  told 
Lourdel  that  the  king  had  said  he  would  kill  any 
boys  who  came  again  to  learn  reading  here.  I 
doubted  the  truth  of  the  king  having  said  so,  for 
Mukwenda  is  himself  a  mere  boy,  and  has  no  say  at 
court  ;  although  some  of  the  chiefs  had  probably 
said  that  they  wished  no  more  teaching  by  us.  One 
or  two  lads  were  reading,  however,  with  me  this 
morning,  and  others  last  night  till  after  dark. 


1 64  HEATHEN  SUPERSTITIONS. 

Soon  after  eight  o'clock  a  messenger  came,  saying 
that  the  king  called  us  all  to  court. 

When  we  were  seated  I  was  called  forward,  and 
Kago  and  a  woman  were  brought  in.  The  king 
said  that  the  result  of  Kago's  mission  was  that  this 
woman,  (his  aunt,  I  believe),  had  been  sent  to  bring 
me  to  the  council  of  the  king's  mother,  and  others 
of  the  family  of  Suma,  that  I  might  explain  to  them 
why  I  refused  to  allow  the  king  to  see  the  Inbare. 

I  replied  that  I  would  not  go  to  explain  at  any 
other  court  than  this  ;  that  I  did  not  refuse  to  allow 
the  king  to  see  the  Inhare,  only  as  a  servant  of  God 
I  had  warned  him  of  the  sin  of  witchcraft  ;  that  I 
used  no  force,  and  had  told  the  king  yesterday  that 
it  was  my  place  to  tell  him  the  truth,  while  he  was 
free  to  follow  or  reject  my  advice. 

The  chiefs — especially  the  Katikiro — all  set  to 
talking  a  deal,  after  which  I  saw  that  the  king  was 
afraid  of  acting  contrary  to  them.  Mtesa  then  gave 
a  verdict  which  pleased  them  all,  for  they  nyanzigged 
boldly  after  he  said  it.  He  said  that  now  they  would 
leave  both  the  Arab's  religion  and  the  Muzungu's 
religion,  and  would  go  back  to  the  religion  of  their 
fathers  ! 

I  was  asked  why  we  came  here,  and  what  we  came 
to  do.  I  replied  that  we  came  in  response  to  his 
own  request  to  Stanley,  that  he  wished  white  men 
to  come  and  stop  with  him,  and  teach  his  people  the 
knowledge  of  God.  He  said  that  he  understood 
that  we  came  to  teach  them  how  to  make  powder 


THE  KING  IS  ANGRY.  l6S 

and  guns,  and  what  he  wanted  was  men  who  would  do 
so.  I  said  that  we  did  not  understand  that,  and  that 
our  first  work  was  to  teach  the  Word  of  God,  and 
how  to  read  it.  He  replied  that,  if  to  teach  that  was 
our  main  object,  then  we  were  not  to  teach  an}' 
more.  He  wanted  us  to  work  for  him.  I  said  that 
we  never  had  refused  to  do  any  work  he  wished  us 
to  do  ;  and  that  everything  he  had  asked  to  be  done, 
I  had  done.  There  was  scarcely  a  chief  present,  I 
said,  for  whom  I  had  not  done  work,  I  showed  my 
hands,  which  were  black  with  working  in  iron  every 
day  for  these  very  chiefs  who  were  saying  we  would 
not  work  for  them.  They  said  that  they  wanted  us 
to  stop  teaching  to  read,  and  to  do  work  only  for 
them  and  the  king.  I  replied  that  we  came  for  no 
such  purpose  ;  and  if  he  wished  that,  then  we  could 
not  stay.  "  Where  will  you  go  ? "  "  We  shall  go 
back  to  England." 

Then  he  said  that  when  Lieut.  Smith  came,  he 
brought  a  letter  from  the  Queen  saying  that  we  had 
come  to  do  work  for  him.  I  asked  the  letter  to  be 
produced.  It  was  brought.  The  Arabs  tried  to  read 
the  Arabic  version,  and  Mufta  tried  to  read  the 
Suahili  ;  but  both  failed.  I  then  read  the  Suahili 
version  myself,  and  pointed  out  that  to  teach  the 
Word  of  God  was  stated  to  be  the  first  object  of 
our  being  here.  I  also  pointed  out  that  the  letter 
was  not  from  the  Queen,  but  from  men  who  were 
engaged  in  sending  the  Word  of  God  to  every  land. 

He    asked    me    if    we    tauc;ht    Said    Burgash.       I 


i66  NEAT//E.V  SUPERSTITIONS. 

replied  that  the  missionaries  in  Zanzibar  settled  there 
by  Burgash's  permission  ;  not  to  teach  him  by  force, 
but  to  teach  any  of  his  people  that  chose  to  be 
taught.  That  what  we  wanted  here  was  not  to 
introduce  Christianity  into  his  country  by  force,  but 
liberty  to  teach  any  of  his  people  that  wished  to  be 
taught,  and  liberty  for  any  of  his  people  to  embrace 
Christianity  that  wished. 

The  Katikiro  said  that  they  wanted  white  men 
to  make  guns,  and  caps,  and  powder.  They  wanted 
us  to  bring  them  guns  innumerable  as  grass,  etc., 
etc. 

I  could  only  say  that  there  were  plenty  of  people 
in  England  who  would  come  and  sell  such  things, 
and  there  were  others  who  would  make  them  ;  but 
we  came  only  to  teach  the  knowledge  of  God.  All 
other  work  which  we  did,  I  said,  we  did  out  of 
friendship,  because  they  wanted  it,  and  not  as  ful- 
filling the  end  for  which  we  came.  Such-like  talk 
went  on  for  an  hour  or  two,  after  which  the  court 
was  dismissed. 

To-day  was  a  scene  in  which  the  heathen  raged 
and  the  people  imagined  vain  things.  They  have 
decided  for  a  sorcerer  instead  of  the  Lord  of  glory. 
It  is  heartrending  to  think  of  this  result  of  more 
than  two  and  a  half  years'  teaching  of  Christianity 
at  this  court.  To-day  the  chiefs  followed  each  other 
like  sheep,  yet  I  am  convinced  that  several  present 
would  have  chosen  quite  the  contrary  were  they  not 
afraid  of  each  other.     The  Lord  will  bring  good  out 


THE  LUBARE    TRIUMPHS.  167 

of  evil,  and  this  decision  of  to-day  will  only  redound 
to  the  firmer  planting  of  His  kingdom  in  this  land. 
I  do  not  feel  discouraged — only  disappointed  for  the 
time.  No  power  can  stand  against  that  of  the  Cross 
of  Christ. 

One  result  I  should  rejoice  to  see,  viz.,  to  have 
permission  to  work  only  among  the  common  people, 
and  let  the  court  alone.  When  I  asked  this  to-day, 
the  idea  was  scouted.  It  seemed  that  the  chiefs 
themselves  saw  the  absurdity,  or  rather  danger,  of 
the  common  people  {bakopi)  being  taught  Christi- 
anity, while  they  themselves  stuck  to  their  idols  and 
witchcraft. 

It  appears  that  the  idol  Nende,  or,  at  any  rate,  its 
guardian  angel,  Kajugujwe,  and  also  the  third  god, 
Kibuka,  are  also  to  be  settled  with  Mukasa  in  the 
huts  just  built  in  the  palace  inner  court.  It  is  a 
terrible  downcome  to  return  to  such  follies,  but  the 
Israelites  of  old  did  so  likewise. 

Meantime  we  mean  to  keep  quiet,  God  sparing  us, 
until  the  present  storm  blows  over.  Let  the  old 
gods  have  their  way  ;  it  will  not  be  for  long,  and 
I  know  it  cannot  satisfy  the  hearts  of  these  people. 

Wednesday,  24th. — Before  dawn  I  was  wakened 
by  a  terrible  beating  of  drums  in  the  neighbourhood. 
I  got  up,  and  looked  out  in  a  dense  fog.  I  gathered 
at  once  that  it  was  the  procession  of  the  liibare 
going  to  the  palace. 

The  sound  of  the  drums  got  nearer,  and  the  united 
shrill    cries    of    hundreds    of  women    became    more 


i68  HEATHEN  SUPERSTITIONS. 

distinct,  and  then  faded  away  as  the  great  procession 
tinned  up  the  highway  to  the  king's.  I  felt  reHeved 
that  the  party  had  not  to  pass  our  shamba,  for  who 
knows  what  a  capricious  and  fanatical  mob  might 
have  done  on  a  moment's  impulse  ?  But  I  retired 
into  my  house  with  the  feeling  that  we  were  in  the 
hands  of  our  loving  Father,  who  will  not  allow  a 
hair  of  our  heads  to  perish. 

I  afterwards  learned  that  the  lubare  put  up  at  the 
house  of  Gabunga  (head  chief  on  the  Lake),  who 
is  now  at  the  capital,  till  mid-day,  when  he  was  re- 
ceived at  the  palace.  The  king  was  removed  from 
his  ordinary  house,  and  seated  in  the  main  court, 
where  the  three  huts  were  built  for  the  three  deities. 
By  some  reports,  Mtesa  and  his  wives  alone  were 
inside  the  house,  the  Katikiro  sitting  in  the  doorway, 
and  all  the  other  chiefs  sitting  outside,  while  the 
lubare  also  sat  outside  near  the  door,  the  other  two 
deities  sitting  near  him. 

All  agree  in  saying  that  a  vast  quantity  (400  large 
kitas)  of  beer  was  consumed  by  the  lubare  and 
chiefs,  Mtesa  scarcely  touching  the  liquor  ;  that  the 
king  sat  silent  all  the  time,  while  the  lubare  sang. 
Some  say  that  Mtesa  paid  little  attention  to  the 
lubare,  but  called  forward  the  Maandzvas  (small  sor- 
cerers, etc.)  to  play  and  dance  before  him.  Few  were 
near  enough  to  know  anything  that  the  lubare  said 
or  sung;  but  one  man  (Toll)  says  that  he  predicted 
war  in  the  country  from  the  presence  of  strangers, 
not  now,  perhaps,  but  within  four  or  five  years. 


IMPOTENCE   OF  CHARMS.  169 

Sunday,  2Zth. — Early  sent  for  to  see  Kaitabalwa, 
who  is  ill. 

Several  subs  were  present,  and  all  having  on 
charms,  which  they  said  w-ere  for  snakes.  I  gave 
him  a  lesson  on  the  impotence  of  such  things  com- 
pared with  the  power  of  the  great  Creator.  One 
of  them  had  a  very  bad  head  ;  and  as  he  maintained 
that  a  charm  was  effective  for  snakes,  I  bade  him 
try  a  charm  to  cure  his  head.  I  picked  up  a  few 
bits  of  things,  and  tied  them  in  a  bundle,  as  the 
dealers  in  witchcraft  do,  and  asked  him  to  believe 
that  that  would  cure  him.  "  Here  is  a  piece  of  cane," 
I  said,  "  which  God  made  ;  here  is  a  piece  of  liibugu 
(bark  cloth)  which  God  also  made,  and  here  is  a 
piece  of  plantain  fibre  which  God  alone  made.  I  tie 
these  things  together,  and  although  before,  you 
trampled  them  under  foot,  now  they  have  a  saving 
power ! "  There  was  much  laughter  at  this,  and 
one  of  the  party  cut  off  his  charm  on  his  arm.  He 
afterwards  asked  me  for  medicine  for  his  bronchitis, 
and  I  brought  him  here  and  gave  him  a  cough 
mixture. 

My  lads  came  down  after  mid-day,  and  Mukasa 
read  a  few  Suahili  Psalms  (including  Psalm  ii.)  with 
me.  He  says  that  Sekibobo  and  Mukwenda,  with 
a  few  subs  and  many  people,  came  and  sat  in  the 
chapel  for  a  long  time  this  forenoon.  The  king  sent 
out  to  know  if  I  had  come. 

All  this  strongly  confirms  my  opinion  that  the 
decision  come  to  in  full  court  last  Tuesday  was  not 


I70  HEATHEN  SUPERSTITIONS. 

final.  The  king  and  some  chiefs  evidently  expect 
us  to  continue  our  teaching  as  before.  My  boys 
being  allowed  to  come  unhindered  every  day  cer- 
tainly does  not  look  like  as  if  a  very  strong  veto 
had  been  put  on  our  continuing  our  work.  It  was 
all,  I  think,  a  strong  effort  that  a  very  few  old  chiefs 
made  to  bring  pressure  to  bear  on  the  king  to  make 
him  recognise  their  old  gods.  I  am  sure  Mtesa  will 
feel  much  ashamed  of  the  last  week's  performance. 
May  God  forgive  his  want  of  courage  to  confess  Him, 
and  give  him  and  such  of  his  people  as  are  disposed 
to  believe,  grace  not  to  be  ashamed  of  the  Saviour's 
name  ! 

Wednesday,  31JA — They  say  Mtesa  refused  to  see 
the  company  of  Maandwas,  i.e.y  wizards  and  witches, 
to-day,  because  the  cure  that  was  expected  to  be 
wrought  on  him  by  the  mere  presence  of  the  head 
Maandwa  (Mukasa)  has  failed.  He  therefore  con- 
sidered the  whole  an  imposture,  and  would  have  no 
more  of  them.  Would  to  God  that  it  may  be  so 
regarded  by  Mtesa  and  all  the  rest ! 

Mukasa  is  said  to  have  decamped  and  gone  back 
to  the  Lake.  May  this  be  the  last  of  that  vile 
power ! 

Thus  the  year  closes.  The  old  serpent  has  tried 
again  to  bruise  the  heel  of  the  seed  of  promise,  but 
the  head  of  the  enemy  will  soon  be  destroyed  by  the 
power  of  the  Lord  our  Righteousness. 

Friday,  Jan.  2nd,  1880. — This  morning  early,  com- 
menced to  translate  St.  Matthew's  Gospel  into   Lu- 


KNOWLEDGE   OF  MEDICINE.  171 

ganda.  Finished  the  first  chapter.  A  perfect  host 
of  difficulties  present  themselves  at  almost  every 
step.  It  will  take  very  long  indeed  before  they  can 
all  be  met  in  any  translation. 

May  the  same  Holy  Spirit  who  inspired  the  Word 
at  first,  cleanse  my  heart  and  hands  in  this  work,  and 
sanctify  it  to  the  glory  of  my  Lord  and  Master  Jesus 
Christ ! 

Sewed  up  wounded  hand  of  woman,  and  gave 
various  medicines  to  other  invalids.  It  has  struck 
me  at  this  time  more  forcibly  than  ever  before,  that 
all  missionaries  should  have  a  good  knowledge  of 
surgery  and  medicine,  or  at  least  have  one  of  their 
number  in  each  station  qualified  to  take  in  hand 
any  disease  or  accident.  It  is  the  fact  that  all 
native  gods  and  sorcerers  are  cure-workers,  and  all 
medicine-men  looked  up  to  as  being  possessed  of 
more  than  natural  powers,  that  leads  me  to  see  the 
great  influence  in  favour  of  Christianity  that  a 
medical  mission  can  exert,  if  prudently  conducted. 

Thursday,  2^th. — Several  mornings  Mukasa  and 
I  have  been  translating  the  fifth  chapter  of  St. 
Matthew. 

I  heard  the  other  day  that  Mtesa  said  to  the 
chiefs  a  day  or  two  ago,  "  Why  are  you  not  going 
on  with  reading  ?  You  are  only  living  for  this  world, 
and  trying  to  amass  riches.  You  had  better  prepare 
for  the  world  to  come.  Here  are  white  men  who 
have  come  from  Europe  to  teach  you  ku  soniesha 
(to  teach  religion).     Why  do  not  you  learn  ?  " 


172  HEATHEN  SUPERSTiriONS. 

He  then  asked  all  round  who  could  read,  and  who 
could  not,  bringing  in  all  pages  and  other  lads  about 
the  grounds.  A  lot  of  sheets  of  syllables,  etc.,  and 
short  sentences,  which  I  gave  hinn  several  months 
ago,  he  now  gave  out  to  chiefs  and  others  who  had 
not  already  got  them. 

This  is  certainly  so  far  encouraging,  especially 
after  the  action  taken  by  the  court  at  Christmas. 
Several  have  since  then  been  here  begging  alphabets, 
etc.  For  the  first  time  since  Christmas  Kyamba- 
lango  came  to  see  us  last  night.  Other  chiefs  also 
are  coming  about.  God  has  heard  our  prayers,  and 
He  has  been  working  in  the  heart  of  the  rulers  of 
this  country  without  any  intervention  on  our  part. 
Oh,  for  wisdom  to  know  rightly  how  to  improve  our 
opportunity  ! 

What  is  the  meaning  of  this  "devil  possession" 
so  much  believed  in  here  t  Every  Maandwa,  or 
priest  of  a  lubare,  is  at  times  said  to  have  his  (or  her) 
lubare  in  the  head,  or  to  be  possessed  (asamide). 
I  remember  well  on  my  last  visit  to  Buzongora,  at 
Kaitaba's,  on  going  into  a  house  on  the  arrival  of 
our  canoes  at  Bumbire,  a  woman  appeared  just 
inside  the  door  on  her  hands  and  knees,  having  a 
child  strapped  on  her  back.  She  pushed  her  lips 
back  and  presented  two  jaws  of  teeth  like  a  growling 
lion,  and  without  uttering  an  articulate  word,  growled 
at  me  like  a  wild  beast.  This  was  to  prevent  me 
entering  the  hut.  Some  Basese  who  came  with  me, 
carrying   my   boxes,   ran    off  in   terror.     I  went  in, 


DEVIL    POSSESSION.  173 

nevertheless  ;  but  seeing  the  hut  too  wretched  for 
my  accommodation,  I  went  off  to  seek  another. 
Some  time  after,  I  returned  to  see  if  she  were  still 
there,  but  she  was  gone. 

Every  dead  king  has  a  Maandwa,  who  makes  all 
believe  that  the  spirit  of  the  late  monarch  has 
entered  into  him,  or  does  so  periodically.  On  these 
occasions  he  raves  frightfully,  talking  in  a  strange 
falsetto  voice,  when  people  bring  pots  of  mwenge 
(beer),  for  the  musimu  (spirit  of  the  departed)  is 
believed  not  to  eat,  but  to  drink  plentifully. 

That  7nnch  of  all  this  is  downright  imposition  on 
the  credulity  of  the  superstitious  people  is  certain, 
but  it  remains  to  be  proved  that  al/  is  imposition. 
Doubtless,  as  among  all  primitive  and  semi-civilized, 
as  in  savage  nations,  many  forms  of  mania  and  other 
diseases  have  been  ever  believed  to  be  due  to  the 
presence  or  influence  of  some  Sai/xcov;  so  here,  certain 
persons,  at  times  suffering  from  mental  disorder,  have 
come  to  be  regarded  in  their  fits  as  possessed.  These 
would  easily  come  to  believe  themselves  to  be  at 
such  times  under  the  influence  of  an  unseen  spirit, 
or  a  hibare.  Others,  seeing  the  immunity  they 
possessed  from  danger  of  apprehension,  as  also  their 
means  of  securing  gifts  from  their  superstitious 
neighbours,  readily  learned  to  imitate  the  actions 
of  madmen,  with  the  purpose  of  gaining  respect, 
or  rather  dread,  and  offerings  of  cattle,  fowls,  and 
beer.  Thus  the  system  of  deception  has  grown,  and 
with  its  growth  become  more  exacting  and  insolent 


174  HEATHEN  SUPERSTITIONS. 

When  a  Maamhva  dies,  another,  generally  from 
among  his  followers,  at  once  takes  his  place  ;  while, 
whenever  a  king  or  queen  dies,  sure  enough  soon 
after,  a  Maandwa  appears  who  apes  the  voice  of  the 
deceased,  and  professes  to  be  possessed  of  the 
muzimu  (soul)  of  the  dead  sovereign.  The  manu- 
facture and  sale  of  charms  eke  out  the  means  of 
subsistence  of  such  false  prophets,  who  invariably 
dress  in  only  goat-skins,  white  or  black,  and  carry 
a  club  of  crooked  wood,  ornamented  with  iron  knobs 
and  bells. 

The  Balaguzi  (prophets  or  diviners)  are  a  different 
crew  from  these  Maandiva,  or  priests.  They  dress 
similarly,  but  never  appear  without  a  huge  bundle  of 
inayembe,  or  magic  horns,  great  iron  bells,  and  a 
file  of  leather  flaps,  by  the  shuffling  of  which  they 
divine  and  soothsay.  Their  main  work  seems  to  be 
the  detection  of  thieves,  when  they  sit  in  front  of 
the  suspected,  with  faces  smeared  over  with  ashes, 
and  listen  to  the  evidence  attentively,  at  the  same 
time  keenly  watching  for  any  signs  of  nervous  fear 
of  detection  among  the  accused.  Not  only  the 
highest  chiefs  and  king  himself  regularly  employ 
these  detectives  in  cases  of  loss  by  theft,  but  con- 
demn to  death  the  persons  pointed  out  by  them ; 
while  even  the  most  fanatical  Moslems  here  have 
recourse  to  these  charm-workers,  when  any  loss  of 
property  occurs! 

Even  our  religion  is  looked  upon  by  many,  if  not 
all,  as  only  another  sort  of  witchcraft     I  have  heard 


SACRED  PLACES.  175 

them  always  speak  of  Islam  and  Christianity  as 
being  merely  new  kinds  of  customs  or  practices 
{ngere),  while  they  call  our  Book  a  charm,  or  jembe 
(ie.,  idol) — "  strange  gods  " ! 

Among  themselves  the  greatest  inexactness  and 
ignorance  prevails  as  to  the  powers,  ranks,  and  offices 
of  the  different  lubares  which  they  worship.  Some 
Balubare  are  good,  and  some  bad ;  but  all  need  gifts 
to  propitiate  their  wrath.  There  are  also  Maandwa 
of  Katonda  (the  Creator)  ;  but  they  are  never  spoken 
of,  and  being  little  known,  their  influence  is  nowhere. 

Many  natives  have  told  me  that  Katonda  and  the 
lubare  are  one  and  the  same  ;  but  those  who  profess 
to  know  better,  affirm  that  when  Katonda  created 
{ku  tonda,  to  create)  all  things,  he  handed  over  the 
government  and  preservation  of  everything  to  the 
lubare,  who  is  therefore  feared  and  worshipped  by  all. 
Thus  they  divide  the  God  of  creation  from  the  God  of 
providence.  But  as  in  old  Greek  and  Latin  mytho- 
logy, each  phenomenon  of  nature  has  its  own  separate 
divinity,  or  lubare, — e.g.,  food,  famine,  rain,  war, 
thunder,  earthquake,  plague,  smallpox,  etc. ; — while 
some  living  creatures,  especially  serpent  and  parrot, 
are  worshipped,  as  well  as  any  monstrosity  in  nature, 
e.g.,  a  hollow  tree,  a  strangely  shaped  rock,  etc.  I 
know  of  a  rocky  islet  in  the  Lake  that  is  devoutly 
worshipped,  as  also  a  wooded  hill  near  the  capital, 
on  which  not  a  tree  is  allowed  to  be  cut,  under  the 
belief  that  ill-luck  will  attend  the  builders  and  owners 
of  any  house  the  posts  of  which  come  from  there. 


176  HEATHEN  SUPERSTITIONS. 

All  seem  to  agree  that  the  Maandiva  are  a  bad 
lot,  but  they  are  not  so  ready  to  confess  that  the 
lubares  are  bad  too. 

After  the  priests  and  prophets  I  have  mentioned 
comes  a  class  of  what  are  called  Barogo,  i.e.,  char- 
mers. There  seems  to  be  little  distinction  between 
them  and  the  Basao,  or  medicine  -  men,  probably 
owing  to  the  fact  that  in  the  administration  of  all 
medicine  a  certain  amount  of  jugglery  is  practised. 
They  always  speak  of  charining  a  disease,  when  they 
mean  airing  it.  This  charming,  or  witchcraft,  is 
(when  the  patient  dies)  as  liable  to  be  visited  with 
the  extreme  penalty  of  the  law  as  it  was  in  Scotland 
in  days  gone  by.  Poisoning,  or,  as  they  say,  charm- 
ing by  poison,  is  regularly  carried  on  by  professionals 
of  the  art.  Vegetable  poisons  are  doubtless  chiefly 
used,  but  bones  of  the  dead  and  parts  of  putrid 
bodies  are  also  mixed  up,  and  the  fatal  dose  ad- 
ministered in  beer,  or  in  the  vegetable  sauce  com- 
monly used  by  chiefs  to  season  their  boiled  plantains 
when  meat  is  scarce.  Women  not  unfrequently 
poison  their  husbands  in  this  way.  So  afraid  is  the 
king  of  being  poisoned  by  his  own  wives,  that  he  will 
taste  nothing  until  first  the  couk,  who  is  one  of  them, 
has  eaten  a  little  (before  his  eyes),  not  only  out  of 
every  dish,  but  out  of  various  parts  of  every  dish  ! 

The  head  wife  in  every  harem  is  always  called 
Kadu  liibare  (little  slave  of  the  spirit).  I  have  heard 
the  word  applied  also  to  a  child  born  by  a  woman 
who  had  been  barren,  but  who  brought  offerings  to 


ROADSIDE  SHRINES.  177 

a  shrine  or  temple  {sabd)  of  a  lubare,  begging  to 
have  offspring,  and  promising  at  the  same  time  (like 
Samuel's  mother)  to  dedicate  the  child  to  the  spirit. 
After  such  a  child  is  born,  the  mother  revisits  the 
shrine  with  the  infant,  and  worships  there  the  unseen 
spirit,  thanking  the  same  for  the  child,  and  nomi- 
nally handing  it  over  to  the  lubare.  These  little 
roadside  shrines  have  generally  no  Maandiva,  or 
priest,  being  simply  a  miniature  hut  in  a  clean-swept 
space.  Every  chief,  and  nearly  every  commoner,  has 
one  or  more  of  these  little  temples,  with  an  aloe 
or  other  solitary  tree  growing  close  by,  on  which  are 
hung  bits  of  charms  of  the  most  trivial  description. 
Every  house  has  charms  hung  on  the  door,  and 
others  laid  on  the  threshold.  A  native  does  not 
venture  out  of  doors  in  the  morning  until  he  first 
throws  out  an  ugly  bell-shaped  charm,  made  of  grass 
covered  over  with  bark  cloth.  This  is  kept  at  the 
back  of  the  door,  and  at  dawn,  whoever  first  gets  up, 
opens  the  door,  throws  out  the  ball,  saying,  "  Here, 
lubare,  this  is  yours." 

I  must  not  omit  to  mention  the  Bafumo.  These 
seem  to  exist  in  every  country  of  East  Africa.  They 
are  called  by  the  same  name  among  the  Wanyam- 
wezi,  and  their  office  is  to  perform  divination  by 
killing  a  fowl,  spilling  its  blood  on  or  near  the  thres- 
hold, and  examining  the  entrails.  I  have  noticed 
the  practice  most  frequently  observed  when  a  chief 
has  fallen  seriously  ill. 

A.  M.  M.  12 


CRUELTY  OF  THE  HEATHEN. 


*  The  dark  places  of  the  earth  are  full  of  the  habitations  of 
cruelty." — Psalm  Ixxiv.  20. 

"  A  few  days  ago  Mtesa  gave  an  order  that  every  man  in  the 
country  was  to  wear  a  bead  on  his  wrist,  under  pain  of  losing 
his  hand,  and  every  woman  to  wear  a  bead  on  her  waist,  under 
pain  of  being  cut  in  two  across  the  waist." — A.  M.  Mackay, 
1st  Jan.,  1882. 


CHAPTER   VI. 
CRUELTY   OF   THE  HEATHEN, 

IF  anything  were  wanting  to  shame  the  selfishness 
and  break  down  the  optimism  of  many  oppo- 
nents of  Christian  missions,  a  perusal  of  the  facts 
related  in  this  chapter  may  do  good.  Which  is  the 
better,  to  enjoy  our  comforts  and  our  luxuries  with 
all  self-complacency,  telling  Christians  to  leave  the 
heathen  alone  in  their  simplicity,  whilst  the  earth 
groans  under  its  wickedness,  or  to  bestir  and  deny 
ourselves  to  spread  the  light  of  truth  and  grace,  and 
show  them  a  better  way  } 

Mackay  and  his  fellow-labourers  in  Uganda  chose 
the  thorny  paths  of  self-denial,  sometimes  repelled  and 
deserted,  and  left  almost  to  starve  for  want  of  food, 
sometimes  enjoying  a  brief  period  of  acceptance  and 
favour  and  personal  comfort,  but  always  living  in 
uncertainty,  and  more  or  less  apprehensive  of  danger. 

Feb.  1st,  1 88 1. — Meantime,  every  crime  and  form 
of  uncleanness  is  rampant  in  the  country.  Each  day 
reveals  to  us  fresh  tales  of  iniquity  and  cruelty  and 
oppression.  One  army  has  been  sent  east  to  murder 
and  plunder.  Not  even  the  natives  themselves  can 
call  it  war :  they  all  say  it  is  for  robbery  and  devas- 
tation.    Another  large  army  has  been  sent  west  to 


i82  CRUELTY  OF  THE   HEATHEN. 

Gambaiagara  for  the  same  purpose  ;  while  the  king 
gives  out  that  if  he  recovers  from  his  loathsome 
disease,  he  will  at  once  go  in  person  to  attack  the 
king  of  Rwanda. 

Every  day  there  is  a  wanton  slaughter  going  on  of 
innocent  victims.  For  a  time,  after  we  came  here,  we 
were  ignorant  of  this.  It  may  have  been  done  more 
quietly  on  our  account,  or  our  ignorance  of  the 
language  and  people  prevented  our  detecting  it 
sooner.  Now,  at  any  rate,  before  our  eyes  the  terrible 
crime  lies  bare.  No  more  is  it  the  king  himself  who 
says,  "  Go  slaughter  such  a  one  and  such  a  one." 
Now  each  executioner — we  do  not  know  how  many 
executioners  there  are,  but  on  every  road  diverging 
from  the  court  there  is  at  least  one — has  orders  to 
capture  and  kill  mercilessly  all  or  any  that  pass  on 
the  highway.  Unsuspecting  peasants  coming  in  from 
the  country  with  plantains  on  their  head  are  seized 
upon  in  a  moment,  and  dragged  into  the  executioner's 
court,  secured  in  forked  sticks  till  morning,  and 
slaughtered  at  dawn.  Some  days  many  are  thus 
murdered,  and  other  days  fewer.  It  is  especially 
men  who  have  no  friends  or  powerful  chiefs  as  their 
protectors  who  are  the  victims.  No  crime  have  they 
committed,  nor  been  guilty  of  the  most  trivial 
offence.  It  is  the  king's  pleasure  that  so  many  be 
butchered  every  day  by  each  executioner,  and  on 
certain  da)'s  a  greater  number,  and  the  owner  of  the 
slaughter  office  must  find  his  victims  where  he  can. 

It  is  dark,  about    lo  p.m.     All  is   quiet,   the   last 


THIRST  FOR   BLOOD.  183 

drum  heard  being  the  executioner's  across  the  small 
valley,  announcing  that  he  has  secured  his  victims 
for  the  day,  and  will  spill  their  blood  in  the  morning. 
Suddenly  a  sharp  cry  in  the  road  outside  of  our  fence, 
then  mingled  voices;  an  agonizing  yell  again,  followed 
by  the  horrid  laugh  of  several  men,  and  all  is  still  as 
before.  "  Do  you  hear  ?  "  says  one  of  our  lads ;  "  they 
have  cut  that  fellow's  throat — hee,  hee,  hee  !  "  and  he 
laughs  too — the  terrible  Baganda  grin  of  pleasure 
in  cruelty.  So  it  is.  The  poor  fellow  had  been 
found  on  the  road  at  so  late  an  hour.  He  was  alone, 
and  the  prowlers  sent  out  by  the  king,  "  to  keep  the 
peace  "  after  dark,  cut  the  man's  throat  because  the 
king  likes  blood,  and  the  chiefs  thirst  for  blood,  and 
they  themselves  will  get  promotion  only  as  they 
manifest  a  similar  desire.  Who  can  tell  on  how  many 
of  our  fellow-men  the  sun  rises  each  day  in  this 
land  of  blood,  but  who  are  suddenly  hurled  into 
eternity  before  another  morning  dawns }  All  this 
merely  to  gratify  the  bloodthirstlness  of  this  monster 
in  position  of  absolute  power — this  murderous  maniac 
—  called  by  good  people  in  England,  and  people 
who  should  know  better  too,  "  the  humane  king  of 
Uganda." 

It  will  find  little  credence  in  Europe  when  I  state 
it  as  a  fact  that  after  this  king  embraced  Islam,  before 
Stanley's  arrival,  he  one  day  ordered  two  hundred 
youths  to  be  burnt  alive,  merely  because  they  had 
gone  a  little  further  than  himself  in  adopting  the 
new  creed — having  been  circumcised  by  the  Arabs. 


1 84  CRUELTY  OF   THE   HEATHEN. 

But  that  was  a  small  slaughter  compared  with 
others.  Two  years  ago,  I  understand,  the  king  gave 
orders  for  a  kizvendo,  as  it  is  called,  i.e.,  a  great 
butchery  of  human  beings.  Suma,  Mtesa's  father, 
used  to  have  many  such ;  and  Mtesa,  after  the  example 
of  his  father,  must  exercise  a  similar  power.  T%vo 
thousand  victims  were  caught  in  the  highways,  chiefly 
at  night,  the  capture  requiring  many  days  ;  and  when 
the  number  was  made  up,  all  were  put  to  death  on 
one  day.  Less  than  a  year  ago,  another  similar 
atrocity  was  committed.  Mtesa  ordered  the  sepul- 
chre of  Suma  to  be  rebuilt.  The  old  king  was  buried 
on  a  hill  called  "  IVamala,"  and  a  large  hut  stands 
over  the  grave,  while  in  a  hundred  other  smaller  huts 
within  the  enclosure  live  a  large  number  of  old 
sorceresses  to  guard  the  royal  spirit.  These  are 
believed  also  to  be  possessed  of  the  soul  of  Suma.  The 
rebuilding  of  the  hundred  huts  was  nearly  completed 
when  I  left  for  Uyui  last  April.  Kyambalango  was 
the  chief  in  charge  of  the  work,  while  he  was  assisted 
by  two  other  chiefs — Mukwenda  and  Mutesa  Mul- 
yanzibu.  Both  Kyambalango  and  Mukwenda  have 
been  taught  by  us  to  read,  as  also  a  great  deal  of 
sacred  truth.  The  former  came  to  me  every  day  for 
several  months,  while  the  latter  has  been  instructed 
by  Pearson.  Mutesa  Mulyanzibu  had  also  learned  to 
read,  and  had  always  shown  himself  a  willing  listener 
to  the  Word  in  our  Sunday  readings  at  court. 

As  the  work  of  building  the  grave  of  Suma  ap- 
proached completion,  the  executioners  were   set   to 


TM^O   THOUSAND  MURDERED.  185 

work  on  every  line  of  road  to  capture  men,  women, 
and  children.  At  length  enough  were  caught,  and  on 
the  great  kiwendo  day  two  thousand  innocent  people 
were  murdered  on  the  spot,  under  the  personal  super- 
vision of  Kyambalango,  Mukwenda,  and  Mutesa  Mul- 
yanzibu.  All  this  was  meant  as  an  expiatory  offering 
to  the  departed  spirit  of  the  late  murderous  monarch, 
Suma. 

Feb.  6th. — Once  again,  another  khvendo  is  about 
to  take  place.  Some  one  of  the  name  of  Mayanja 
(whether  a  sorcerer  or  not  we  do  not  yet  know)  has 
advised  the  king  that  to  hasten  his  recovery  it  is 
necessary  to  slaughter  people  on  several  hills  round 
the  capital.  For  days  the  dozen  or  more  execution- 
ers, each  with  his  gang  of  twenty  to  thirty  men,  have 
been  lying  in  wait  for  people  on  the  roads.  Bakopi^ 
or  common  people,  only  are  caught ;  while  sons 
or  petty  officers  of  chiefs,  if  caught  by  mistake,  can 
generally  purchase  their  release  by  a  goat  or  a  cow. 
The  other  night  five  were  suddenly  apprehended  at 
our  own  gate  ;  two  days  ago  the  executioner  [Sabata) 
opposite  went  to  catch  men  on  another  road,  as  it 
had  got  noised  abroad  that  he  was  catching  every 
one  that  passed  this  way.  People  who  had  gone  that 
other  way  to  avoid  this  one,  thus  fell  into  the  trap, 
and  by  evening  we  heard  that  Sabata  had  captured 
forty  men  and  thirty  women.  Last  night  we  heard 
that  he  had  made  a  similar  "  take."  The  other  exe- 
cutioners in  the  other  directions  are  also  all  at  similar 
work.     Several  days  are  said  to  elapse  yet  before  the 


l86  CRUELTY  OF   THE   HEATHEf/. 

slaughter  takes  place.  Some  will  have  their  throats 
cut,  while  others  will  be  tortured  to  death — their  eyes 
put  out,  nose  and  ears  cut  off,  the  sinews  of  their  arms 
and  thighs  cut  out  piecemeal  and  roasted  before 
their  eyes,  and  finally  the  unhappy  wretches  burnt 
alive.  Others,  again,  are  tied  hand  and  foot,  dry  reeds 
and  firewood  heaped  over  them,  and  then  the  whole 
ignited. 

The  wretch  who  orders  all  this  to  be  done  for 
his  own  gratification  is  he  who  is  called  in  Europe 
the  "enlightened  and  intelligent  king  of  Uganda." 
It  is  he  who  professed  to  Mr.  Stanley  to  be  con- 
verted to  Christianity,  whom  the  Romish  priests  write 
of  as  becoming  a  good  Catholic.  It  is  he  u  ho  says 
that  we  Protestant  missionaries  are  mad,  because  we 
deny  the  use  of  worshipping  the  Itibare  (genius  of 
the  country)  ;  while  I  am  especially  mad  because  I 
told  Mtesa  that  he  was  \x\^x(t\y  playing  with  religion, 
in  professing  himself  one  day  a  Christian,  another  day 
a  Mussulman,  and  a  third  a  follower  of  his  old  super- 
stition. More  than  once  in  the  past  he  has  deceived 
us  in  his  professions  of  desire  to  know  the  truth  ; 
although  his  never  agreeing  to  forego  the  least  of  his 
sinful  practices  with  the  view  of  being  even  only  a 
nominal  Christian,  always  led  us  to  suspect  that  he 
was  altogether  insincere  in  his  words  and  actions. 
Now,  however,  he  has  for  more  than  a  year  thrown  off 
all  disguise,  so  far  as  our  teaching  is  concerned.  Even 
the  Romanists  allow  that  all  his  professions  of  faith 
in   them    are  only  a  ruse.     The  Mohammedans,  too, 


THE  KING'S   CHARACTER.  187 

are  obliged  to  confess  that  he  is  no  Mussulman  at 
heart,  nor  in  practice,  even  to  the  smallest  degree. 

Mtesa  is  a  pagan — a  heathen — out  and  out.  All 
the  faculties  of  lying,  low  cunning,  hatred,  pride  and 
conceit,  jealousy,  cruelty,  and  complete  ignorance  of 
the  value  of  human  life,  combined  with  extreme 
vanity,  a  desire  for  notoriety,  greed,  and  absolute 
want  of  control  of  his  animal  propensities, — all  these 
seem  not  only  to  be  combined,  but  even  concentrated 
in  him.  All  is  self,  self,  self  Uganda  exists  for  him 
alone,  and  we  have  too  much  reason  to  believe  that 
he  really  imagines  that  all  the  world  besides  was 
created  for  his  especial  benefit. 

Every  act  of  seeming  generosity,  or  of  any  other 
redeeming  nature,  we  cannot  but  now  conclude,  from 
several  years'  examination  of  his  character,  to  have 
been  done  either  for  the  glorification  of  himself  in  the 
eyes  of  foreigners,  or  merely  as  a  bait  to  gather  more 
into  his  net. 

While  guilty  of  every  form  of  uncleanness,  and 
robbery,  and  tyranny,  and  murder,  and  fratricide, 
one  finds  a  strange  anomaly  in  his  character,  viz.,  a 
seeming  affection  for  some  of  his  younger  children, 
to  which  may  be  added  a  real  sense  o^ justice  without 
respect  of  persons,  in  giving  judgment  in  cases  of 
appeal  to  him,  eg.,  a  sub-chief  bringing  a  compldint 
that  he  had  been  plundered  of  his  all  by  some  supe- 
rior or  stronger  officer. 

Strange  to  say,  in  this  most  lawless  land,  there  is 
a  never-ending  amount  of  musaiigo  (trial)  going  on. 


l88  CRUELTY  OF   THE   HEATHEN. 

All  the  great  chiefs  arc  judges  in  their  own  territories, 
with,  of  course,  power  of  life  and  deatli.  Every  Mil- 
tongole  and  petty  officer  has  also  very  frequently  cases 
brought  before  him.  The  same  case  is  often  heard, 
also,  by  many  such  judges  in  succession  before  it  is 
settled.  At  the  capital,  common  people  not  under 
the  same  chief,  have  their  cases  tried  by  three  petty 
officers  of  the  Katikiro,  a  small  fee  being  always 
paid.  Chiefs  have  all  their  differences  settled  by  an 
old  chief  called  Mungobya,  who  is  said  to  be  very 
just  in  his  decisions.  From  him  appeal  can  be  had  to 
the  Katikiro  (chief  minister),  who  is  a  young  conceited 
fellow,  formerly  only  a  cook  of  Mtesa's.  This  man  is 
a  pure  timeserver,  and  always  gives  the  case  to  the 
man  who  has  bribed  him  most  in  slaves  or  cattle. 
Mtesa  hears  cases  without  fee,  and  is  generally 
regarded  as  just  in  his  verdict.  Poor  men  can,  how- 
ever, bring  no  case  against  a  richer  man.  Spolia- 
tion and  death  would  be  the  certain  doom  of  the 
bakopi  (peasant),  even  should  his  case  get  a  hearing 
at  all. 

The  Arab,  Kambi  Mbaya,  is  now  attempting  to 
cure  the  king  of  his  long-standing  stricture.  Wheaten 
flour,  with  almonds,  seems  to  be  the  remedy !  M. 
Lourdel,  who  has  no  idea  of  medicine,  is  also  con- 
tinuing to  supply  his  Majesty  every  day  with  some 
bottles  of  drug.  He  goes  to  court  every  day.  We 
understand  that  they  (the  Romish  priests)  have  got 
permission  to  remove  from  their  present  site  to  one 
across  the  road  from  where  they  are,  as  water  is  there, 


LETTER    TO    THE  KING.  189 

and  a  patch  of  swamp  where  they  can  raise  pure 
wheat  for  use  in  the  sacrament  of  the  mass.  It  is  a 
mortal  sin  to  use  any  other  than  purest  wheat  for  the 
sacred  wafer  ;  but  the  grain  they  are  growing  seems 
to  me  to  be  a  species  of  barley,  and  not  wheat  at  all. 
Last  night  Mr.  Pearson  and  I  wrote  a  letter  to 
Mtesa  on  the  subject  of  the  approaching  terrible 
massacre.  We  wrote  also  a  note  to  the  Frenchmen, 
asking  them  to  join  their  influence  to  ours,  to  try  to 
prevent  such  a  dreadful  act  from  taking  place.  Our 
letters,  as  well  as  the  Frenchmen's  reply,  are  as 
follows ; — 

"  St/i  February,  i8S I. 
"To  Mtesa,  King  of  Uganda,  etc 

"We  beg  your  Majesty  to  hear  the  prayer  which 
we  make  to  you  on  account  of  the  people  taken  by 
your  executioners  to  be  killed. 

"We  are  not  the  king  or  chiefs  of  Uganda;  we  only 
pray  your  Majesty  not  to  allow  these  people,  who 
have  done  no  wrong,  to  be  put  to  death.  The  great 
God  has  given  a  commandment  in  His  Book — '  Thou 
shalt  not  kill ; '  and  if  this  great  wickedness  is  done, 
breaking  God's  law,  He  will  be  very  angry  with  you, 
the  Baganda  and  Buganda,  and  will  send  His  punish- 
ments. Besides  this,  killing  so  many  people,  and  so 
many  being  killed,  fighting  and  robbing  neighbour- 
ing countries,  will  make  your  country  very  weak. 

"  The  king  is  king  over  people  ;  and  if  the  land  has 
no  inhabitants,  what  can  the  king  reign  over  ?     The 


I90  CRUELTY  OF   THE   HEATHEN. 

more  inhabitants  there  are  in  a  country,  the  stronger 
and  richer  the  king  becomes. 

"You  remember  what  KiNTU  said  about  blood- 
shedding,  and  we  beg  j'our  Majesty  to  give  orders 
that  all  these  people,  your  Majesty's  children,  may  be 
released,  and  this  great  wickedness  not  be  done. 

"We  daily  pray  God  that  He  may  give  you  His 
blessing  in  all  things,  and  give  you  a  wise  heart, 
through  Jesus  Christ's  sake. 

"  With  many  salaams  we  remain, 

"Your  Majesty's  faithful  subjects, 

(Signed)    "  Ch.  W.  Pearson 
"  A.  M.  Mackay." 

Copy  of  Letter  sent  to  Rev.  P^re  Superior 
LiviNHAC,  Uganda. 

"  ith  February,  1881. 

"After  salutations  to  you  and  your  confreres,  I  wish 
to  speak  to  you  about  a  very  serious  affair.  The 
king  for  several  da}S  has  sent  his  executioners,  with 
their  people,  that  they  may  seize  all  the  people  pos- 
sible, to  kill  them,  and  that  without  these  poor 
fellows  having  done  any  wrong.  We  have  written  a 
letter  (in  French)  to  the  king,  of  which  I  send  you  a 
copy,  praying  him  not  to  do  such  a  wrong.  There  are 
ten  more  days  in  which  they  will  carry  this  on,  and 
many  people  will  lose  their  lives. 

"  I  think  that  if  you  will  join  your  petition  to 
ours,  we  could,  perhaps,  save  them.  Tell  me,  then, 
if  you  will  do  it.     It  is  a  thing   which   every  good 


THE   PRIESTS  LETTER.  191 

man    might   do,   whatever    might    be    his   religious 
opinions. 

"We  have  sent  a  letter  because  we  have  great 
difficulty  in  seeing  the  king. 

"  We  hope  that  P^re  Levesque  is  better.  Give  us 
some  news  of  his  condition. 

"  With  many  salutations  from  Mr.  Mackay  and 
myself,  believe  me,  etc.,  etc., 

"  (Signed)     Ch.  W.  PEARSON." 

Copy  of  translation  of  Reply  by  P.  Livinhac 

TO  Mr.  Pearson. 

"  I.M.J."     Qesus,  Mary,  Joseph.] 

''6th  February,  188 1. 
"My  Dear  Mr.  Pearson, — 

"  I    am   very   far   from   blaming  the   step  with 
which  charity  has  inspired  you. 

*'  The  great  idea  which  the  people  have  here  of  the 
power  of  the  English  Consul  at  Zanzibar,  and  of  the 
power  of  England  in  the  whole  world,  permits  you  to 
hope  that  your  words  will  be  taken  into  considera- 
tion. 

"  For  us,  everybody  knows  very  well  that  coming 
from  a  country  which  has  not  even  a  king,  we  are 
only,  in  the  idea  of  the  Baganda,  as  little  bagenyi 
(  =  guests)  without  influence,  and  we  are  sure  that 
our  intervention  will  be  worthless.  We  cannot  then 
interfere.     [Italics  in  original.] 

"  P^re  Levesque,  without  suffering  any  great  pain, 
is  not  yet   able  to   walk.      He  still  continues  your 


192  CRUELTY  OF   THE   HEATHEN. 

treatment.     He  charges  me  to  thank  you  and  salute 
you  as  well  as  Mr.  Mackay. 

"We  all  salute  you  all.  Salute  on  our  part  Mr. 
Mackay,  and  believe  me, 

"  Yours  wholly  devoted  in  Jesus  Christ, 

"(Signed)     Leon  LiviNHAC, 
"  Miss.  (TAfrigue:' 

It  will  be  clearly  seen  from  the  above  how  true  is 
the  statement  by  "  K,"  in  his  article  in  C.Jlf.S.  Intelli- 
gencer^ on  "  Jesuit  Aggression,"  that  the  theory  of  the 
Romanists  as  to  mission  work  is,  that  "  missionaries 
without  bayonets  made  converts  to  little  purpose." 

We  based  our  request  to  the  king — ist,  on  the  ground 
of  God's  holy  law ;  2nd,  on  the  imprudent  policy  of 
the  act  ;  3rd,  on  the  faith  of  the  king  in  the  ancient 
superstition  that  Kintu,  the  founder  of  Uganda,  dis- 
appeared because  the  land  had  become  so  full  of 
blood. 

The  Frenchmen,  however,  totally  and  wilfully  mis- 
took our  ground,  implying  by  their  letter  that  we 
ventured  to  rebuke  the  terrible  sin  only  on  the 
strength  of  our  status  as  Englishmen. 

This  is  confirmed  by  the  words  of  Pere  Lourdel, 
whom  Mr.  Pearson  (who  had  gone  to  see  a  chief 
about  some  of  our  boys  who,  with  the  chief's  son,  had 
been  many  days  missing)  met  in  the  road  before  our 
letter  to  P.  Livinhac  had  reached  him.  Mr.  Pearson 
told  him  of  our  letter  to  Mtesa,  and  of  our  request 
for  joint  action  on   their  part.     P.    Lourdel    merely 


INDIGNATION  AT  UNFAITHFULNESS.  193 

shrugged  his  shoulders,  saying  that  it  was  of  no  use 
at  all  to  try  to  stop  this  massacre  ;  that  unless  they 
had  a  powerful  army  at  their  back,  they  would  not 
risk  their  lives  by  interfering  ! 

Why  does  M.  Lourdel  go  to  court  every  day,  and 
sit  silent  there  while  he  hears  such  terrible  evil  being 
enacted  ?  Is  his  presence  continually  there,  and  his 
silence  in  every  case  of  wickedness,  and  his  endless 
efforts  at  currying  favour  with  the  king,  not  a  simple 
acquiescence  in  the  evil  things  said  and  done  at  this 
iniquitous  court  ? 

Here  we  are  under  no  consular  protection,  nor  have 
the  king  and  people  any  idea  of  English  power,  except 
suspicion  of  it,  making  us  all  the  more  hateful  in 
the  eyes  of  the  government  here ;  while,  for  our  last 
protest  against  evil,  we  have  been  in  great  disfavour, 
and  have  been  excluded  from  court  altogether,  being 
also  refused  every  concession  which  we  have  asked  for 
liberty  to  teach  Christianity.  Yet  we  did  not  shrink 
to  risk  our  lives  in  God's  name  and  in  Christ's  cause. 
We  know  very  well  that  the  step  is  a  dangerous  one  ; 
but  are  we,  on  that  account,  to  be  silent  in  face  of 
such  a  terrible  tragedy  as  is  about  to  been  acted  ? 

Last  Monday,  Duta  (son  of  chief  Kangao),  a  lad 
who  has  been  much  with  us  for  instruction,  and  of 
whom  we  have  had  good  hopes  that  the  Word  has 
reached  his  heart,  left  this  with  two  of  our  boys  for 
a  place  in  the  country,  only  a  day  off,  where  they 
went  to  get  some  gonja  (a  species  of  plantains).  They 
should  have  been  back   next  day,  but  have  not  yet 

A.  M.  M.  13 


194  CRUELTY   OF   THE   HEATHEN. 

been  heard  of.  We  have  made  all  possible  surmises 
as  to  what  detains  them,  sometimes  fearing  that  one 
of  the  executioners  has  captured  them  as  victims  for 
the  great  massacre,  and  again  hoping  that  they  have 
heard  of  people  being  captured  in  extra  numbers  just 
now,  and  therefore  have  remained  at  a  distance  from 
the  capital.  Some  of  our  native  friends  in  the  next 
garden  assert  positively  that  Duta  has  stolen  the  boys, 
and  that  we  shall  never  hear  more  of  either  them  or 
of  him.     Baganda  have  no  confidence  in  each  other. 

Yesterday  we  sent  three  of  our  servants  a  good 
many  miles  to  the  westward  to  make  inquiries,  but 
they  returned  at  night  with  no  news  of  the  missing 
lads.  But  this  and  all  our  other  troubles  we  cast  on 
Him  whose  eye  is  ever  on  us,  and  who  will  withhold 
no  good  thing  from  us. 

March  13///. — A  week  ago  we  were  suddenly  sent 
for  by  Mtesa  to  examine  one  of  the  elder  princes.  He 
had  been  just  shot  by  a  brother,^  and  it  was  feared 
he  would  die  at  once.  Packing  some  bandages, 
instruments,  and  medicine  in  a  bag,  Pearson  and  I 
set  off  to  see  the  wounded  man.  He  was  in  a  house 
half  a  mile  off,  sitting  in  the  doorway,  with  the  Kati- 
kiro  and  all  the  big  chiefs  round  him.  By  the  aid  of 
a  candle  we  examined  his  wounds,  and  found  them 
very  serious.  His  brother,  for  some  offence,  shot  him 
at  close  quarters,  discharging  into  his  body  the  con- 


*  Afterwards  the  cruel  King  Kalema,  lately  driven  out  by  the 
Christians. 


A    WOUNDED   PRINCE.  195 

tents  of  both  barrels  of  a  heavy  gun.  Each  charge 
had  over  six  inches  depth  of  powder,  while  two  iron 
bullets,  a  quantity  of  shot,  a  lot  of  pebbles,  besides 
wads  of  bark  cloth,  all  had  entered  the  man,  his  skin 
being  also  ruptured  all  over  by  the  gunpowder! 

One  large  iron  bullet  we  found  lodged  between  the 
collar-bone  and  shoulder-blade,  and  a  lot  of  pebbles 
in  the  same  hole,  having  entered  over  six  inches,  as 
we  found  by  probing.  One  pellet  gone  through  the 
flesh  under  the  chin  ;  several  pellets,  some  lodged 
in  and  some  gone  through  the  left  arm  near  the 
shoulder.  Great  flesh  wounds  above  and  below  wrist 
of  right  hand,  some  still  lodged  in  and  some  gone 
through.  Miraculous  escape !  no  bones  broken  nor 
arteries  injured,  as  far  as  we  could  ascertain. 

We  gave  him  a  stimulant  and  dressed  the  wounds, 
and  left  the  chiefs  there  with  a  small  army  to  keep 
watch  over  him  all  night.  We  find  that  they  left 
some  time  afterwards,  to  hold  judgment  on  the 
other  prince  who  had  fired  the  shots.  As  they  con- 
sidered the  latter  to  have  had  justice  on  his  side,  they 
left  the  wounded  man. 

They  were  all  there  merely  because  the  king  had 
told  them  to  go  and  see  his  son,  and  ask  us  to  give 
him  medicine.  When  we  were  leaving,  we  asked  one 
of  the  "  great"  chiefs  to  lend  a  bed  for  the  sick  prince; 
but  none  of  them  would  do  it.  We  therefore  said 
that  we  would  send  him  a  bed,  which  we  did  at  once 
on  returning  home. 

Mtesa  has  ordered  that  the  invalid  be  removed  a 


196  CRUELTY  OF   THE  BE  A  7  HEN. 

mile  further  off,  that  he  may  not  die  near  the  palace. 
Such  is  fatherly  affection  here!  We  have  since  heard 
that  the  poor  prince  is  dead. 

Lour4el  called  one  day,  reporting  that  Mtesa  had 
shed  tears  in  court  on  account  of  the  accident  to  his 
son,  saying  that  he  himself  had  taught  them  both  to 
use  a  gun,  and  this  was  the  result  !  He  did  not  add 
that  he  himself  had  taught  them,  by  his  example, 
how  to  ruthlessly  shed  blood,  nor  did  he  seem  to  re- 
flect on  the  rich  legacy  of  unclean  passions  which  his 
sons,  and  daughters  too,  have  inherited  from  him. 

March  \\th. — Hosts  of  natives  delivered,  one  by 
one,  his  tax  of  one  bark  cloth  each  for  the  interment 
of  the  dead  prince.  This  is  the  custom  in  burying  a 
great  man.  The  body  is  practically  embalmed,  but 
not  by  spices.  The  executioners  are  the  undertakers 
— a  combination  of  offices  that  might  be  tried  in 
England.  They  press  and  press  and  squeeze  the 
body  with  the  hand  until  they  squeeze  all  watery 
matter  out  of  it.  The  operation  is  not  begun,  I  be- 
lieve, until  decomposition  commences  to  take  place, 
and  lasts  several  days.  Then  the  dry  carcase  is 
wrapped  in  a  thousand  bark  cloths,  until  the  whole 
presents  the  appearance  of  an  enormous  bundle,  which 
is  buried  in  the  ground,  and  a  house  built  over  the 
place,  certain  of  the  wives  of  the  deceased  staying  in 
huts  close  by,  all  their  days,  to  watch  the  departed 
spirit.  These  women  are  supposed  to  hold  converse 
with,  and  also  to  be  possessed  of,  the  spirit  of  their 
late  husband. 


HUMAN  SACRIFICES.  197 

Common  people  are  simply,  when  dead,  thrown  out 
into  the  nearest  waste  place,  where  wild  animals  and 
vultures  grow  fat  on  the  flesh.  Burial  is  denied  to 
them.  In  the  swamp  near  our  garden  are  countless 
skeletons  and  skulls  of  natives  ;  but  the  lower  jaw  is 
wanting  in,  I  believe,  every  case,  otherwise  I  should 
try  to  secure  a  few  skulls  for  the  Berlin  Museum.  I 
may  manage  it  yet,  but  the  task  is  difficult,  as  sor- 
cerers are  often  accused  of  poisoning  people  by 
making  medicine  out  of  dead  bones,  and  the  crime 
is  punished  by  terrible  torture  and  then  death  by 
burning. 

Uganda,  2Zth  October,  1882. — Human  sacrifices  on 
a  large  scale  are  frequently  performed  at  this  court. 
The  king  is  ill  of  a  tedious  disease,  as,  indeed,  are 
nearly  all  the  chiefs  and  many  of  the  people.  He  is 
supposed  to  be  bewitched.  He  calls  for  his  diviners, 
who  recommend  another  khvendo  on  all  the  sur- 
rounding hills.  The  executioners  are  ordered  out  to 
collect  victims.  The  neighbourhood  of  the  capital 
is  a  series  of  hills,  conical  or  table-shaped,  intersected 
by  swamps,  which  they  call  rivers.  All  the  paths 
approaching  the  capital  must  cross  these  swamps,  a 
low  bank  having  been  generally  made  on  which  to 
cross,  waterways  being  left  here  and  there,  across 
which  one  or  two  logs  of  wild  palm  are  thrown.  As 
all  coming  to  or  going  from  the  capital  must  cross 
at  these  points,  the  executioners  lie  in  wait  there,  and 
capture  unwary  serfs,  whom  they  tie  up  for  execution. 
When  new  huts  are  built  over  the  graves  of  the  late 


198  CRUELTY  OF  THE   HEATHEN. 


kings,  their  erection  is  inaugurated  by  a  khvauio. 
Each  head  executioner,  with  his  head  and  face 
covered  by  a  sort  of  woven  cap  with  long  fringes, 
which  hide  his  features,  making  them  look  doubly 
ferocious,  slays  by  a  blow  from  a  club  on  the  back 
of  the  head.  Death  is  generally  instantaneous.  On 
some  occasions  as  many  as  two  thousand  innocent 
men  and  women  have  thus  been  butchered  on  a  single 
day. 

Death  is  almost  invariably  the  punishment  for 
adultery,  as  also  for  theft  on  a  large  scale.  The 
culprits  are  executed  by  having  their  throats  cut, 
just  as  goats  are  slaughtered.  In  some  cases  they 
are  taken  to  a  distance  from  the  capital,  generally  to 
the  side  of  some  swamp.  Their  bodies  are  then 
smeared  over  with  butter,  or  frequently  with  the  gum 
of  the  incense  tree,  and  they  are  hung  up  alive  over 
a  slow  fire  till  dead,  the  executioner  and  his  slaves 
meantime  sitting  by,  smoking  and  drinking,  and  jeer- 
ing at  the  wretch  in  agony.  But,  strange  to  say,  all 
these  extreme  measures  fail  to  put  a  stop  to  theft  and 
other  crimes  which  are  every  day  being  perpetrated. 
Women  have  their  backs  seared  with  red-hot  irons, 
and  only  recover  after  months  of  doctoring.  Ears 
are  cut  off  for  very  trifling  offences,  especially  among 
boys.  The  extraction  of  one  or  even  both  eyes  is  a 
very  common  mode  of  punishment.  Noses  are  also 
cut  off ;  but  perhaps  the  most  hideous  form  of  mutila- 
tion consists  in  cutting  away  the  whole  of  the  lip.s, 
leaving  the  jaws  and  teeth   exposed.     I  have  known 


METHODS   OF  PUNISHMENT.  I99 

the  hands  and  feet  to  be  all  cut  off,  and  the  poor 
victim  left  thus  to  die  by  the  roadside,  his  offence 
having  been  the  theft  of  only  a  pot  of  beer  valued  at 
less  than  a  shilling  !  If  a  thief  is  found  at  night  in 
any  one's  garden,  he  is  simply  speared  to  death,  no 
inquiries  being  made  about  the  matter. 

The  houses  being  all  frail  wicker-work  structures  of 
reeds,  thatched  with  grass  down  to  the  ground,  there 
can  be  no  prisons  of  security.  Hence  it  is  that 
offenders  are  generally  either  mutilated  or  killed  out- 
right, as  being  the  least  expensive  mode  of  punish- 
ment. Stocks  are  used  for  neck,  arms,  and  feet,  but 
only  in  cases  when  the  criminal  is  permitted  to  pay  a 
ransom  for  his  life  or  limb,  and  is  thus  detained  until 
the  price,  in  goats  or  cattle,  is  paid.  Corporal  punish- 
ment is  seldom  inflicted.  When  given,  it  is  by  a 
long,  stout  stick,  the  victim  being  thrown  on  his  face 
on  the  ground,  and  there  held  down  by  many  hands, 
the  blows  being  dealt  with  terrible  force  longitudinally 
along  the  whole  back.  When  over,  the  victim  must 
kneel  and  make  profound  obeisance  to  the  chief  who 
has  ordered  him  to  be  beaten. 

The  most  abject  deference  is  paid  by  inferiors  to 
superiors  ;  and  even  the  highest  chiefs,  in  their  turn, 
must  "  lick  the  very  dust "  in  the  presence  of  royalty. 

The  amount  of  imposition,  tyranny,  and  iniquity 
practised  here  by  the  strongest  arm  would,  if 
described  only  in  part,  shock  the  feelings  of  the 
whole  civilized  world. 


SAABADU'S  ACCOUNT  OF  BJS    VISIT 
TO   ENGLAND. 


"So  swine  neglect  the  pearls  that  lie  before  thenv 
Trample  them  under  foot,  and  feed  on  draff ; 
So  fools  gild  rotten  idols,  and  adore  them, 
Cast  all  the  corn  away,  and  keep  the  chaff. 
That  ever  reason  should  be  blinded  so, — 
To  grasp  the  shadow,  let  the  substance  go  !  ** 

Francis  Quarles. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

SAAB  AD  IPS  ACCOUNT  OF  HIS    VISIT   TO 
ENGLAND. 

IN  perfect  contrast  to  the  lurid  picture  of  cruelty 
and  death  in  the  last  chapter  is  Mackay's  next 
entr)^  in  his  journal,  which  gives  an  account  of  the 
report  which  one  of  Mtesa's  envoys  ^  to  England  gave 
of  his  journey,  and  what  he  and  his  companions 
saw  in  Europe  and  on  the  way.  The  exaggerations 
and  childishness  manifest  through  the  whole  story, 
whilst  very  amusing,  show  that  there  is  a  crying  need 
amongst  these  Baganda  for  the  Christian  School  and 
Church. 

Feb.  "jth,  1 88 1. — At  dawn  Muftaa  turned  up,  say- 
ing that  Saabadu,  one  of  the  Baganda  who  went  to 
England,  had  arrived,  and  had  seen  the  king  yester- 
day. We  feel  devoutly  thankful  to  God  that  our 
brethren  have  reached  the  lake,  and  that  no  evil  has 
befallen  these  Baganda  on  their  long,  long  journey. 

In  the  evening  Muftaa  came  again,  saying  that  at 

'  Three  Baganda  envoys  in  charge  of  two  returning  mis- 
sionaries, started  by  the  Nile  route,  in  June,  1879,  and  reached 
London,  in  April,  1880. 

303 


204  SAABADU'S    VISIT  TO  ENGLAND. 

court,  in  the  forenoon,  Saabadu  had  given  a  long 
account  of  his  travels,  and  of  what  he  had  seen  in 
the  country  of  the  Queen.  The  fellow  seems  to  have 
spoken  much  more  truly  and  faithfully  than  couUl 
have  been  expected  from  a  native  of  this  countr)-. 
It  is  only  that  he  has  seen  a  land  of  liberty  and  of 
such  immense  superiority  to  the  much-lauded  land 
of  Uganda,  that  has  given  him  the  boldness  to 
describe  what  he  saw  with  so  much  truth.  The  fol- 
lowing (as  Muftaa  gave  it  to  us)  is  something  like 
the  story  which  Saabadu  told  the  king,  in  presence 
of  the  chiefs.  No  Arabs  were  there,  but  some  of 
their  slaves  were  outside,  and  reported  to  their  mas- 
ters what  they  heard. 

"  When  we  reached  Rionga's  [Foweira]  we  left  our 
wives  there,  and  were  deprived  of  all  our  guns  and 
spears  and  shields,  and  even  of  our  big  sticks.  We 
then  made  up  our  mind  that  Mtesa  had  sold  us  for 
slaves  to  the  white  men.  Then  we  marched  on 
through  a  desert  [jungle .-'],  which  took  us  three 
months.  After  that  we  got  to  Khartoum.  Then  we 
crossed  another  desert,  which  took  us  two  months. 
Here  we  saw  great  mountains,  such  as  we  had  never 
seen  before.  Then  we  came  to  a  nyanja  [Red  Sea], 
and  were  put  into  a  ship.  Oh,  my  master,  a  ship  is 
very  big,  as  big  as  a  hill  ! 

"  Then  we  reached  the  capital  of  the  king  of  the 
Turks  [Egyptians].  But  there  we  saw  that  it  is  not 
Turks,  but  Bazungu  [Europeans],  who  govern  the 
country.     The  Turks  have  no  power  at  all. 


THE  ENVOYS  IN  LONDON.  205 

"  Then  we  came  to  another  nyanja  [the  Mediter- 
ranean]. We  sailed  on  till  we  came  to  an  island 
[Malta?],  which  they  said  belonged  to  the  Queen, 
and  we  thought,  '  Surely  the  Queen  lives  here,  and 
now  we  are  at  the  end  of  our  journey.'  But  no ;  on 
we  went  again,  and  we  thought  we  would  never  get 
to  the  end,  for  they  told  us  that  we  were  not  half- 
way yet.  Then  we  came  to  a  country  belonging  to 
Bazungu,  but  the  people  were  all  like  Arabs  [Algiers]. 
Next  we  came  to  a  high  island  of  the  Bazungu,  but 
not  of  the  Queen  [Lisbon  ?].  This  was  in  the  third 
nyanja  [Atlantic]. 

"  Then  we  went  on  for  many  days,  till  we  came  to 
England.  Oh,  what  a  lot  of  big  ships  we  saw  there ! 
[mouth  of  the  Thames  i*].  Their  masts  made  us 
think  that  it  was  a  forest  with  the  trees  growing  in 
the  water.  Then  we  came  to  London,  Here  the 
Queen  sent  a  chief  for  us  with  a  carriage  and  two 
horses.  The  horses  in  London  are  so  many  that  no 
one  can  ever  count  them.  And  the  houses,  they  are 
made  of  stone.  Oh,  my  master,  wonderful !  wonder- 
ful ! !  they  make  two  long  fences  of  stones  [sides  of 
the  street],  very  long,  as  far  as  you  can  see,  and  the 
house  is  inside  the  fence.  It  is  all  one  house,  but 
divided  so  that  lots  of  people  live  in  it.  No  one  can 
count  how  many  people  live  in  one  house  [one  side 
of  a  street,  being  continuous,  was  supposed  to  be 
one  house].  Oh,  London  is  a  big  place  ;  nothing  but 
houses  of  stone  as  far  as  from  here  to  Bulemezi 
[some  twenty  miles  from  the  capital]. 


206  SAABADU'S   VISIT   TO  ENGLAND. 

"Then  we  went  to  a  place  where  a  great  chief  [Col. 
Grant  or  Mr.  Hutchinson  ?]  met  us,  who  held  up  his 
hands  and  said,  '  Eh  1  Baganda  !  Baganda  I !  Ba- 
ganda  ! ! ! ' 

"  After  two  days  the  Queen  sent  for  us.  We  saw 
a  lot  of  ladies  together,  and  they  were  all  dressed 
alike,  so  that  we  did  not  know  which  was  the  Queen. 
Oh,  my  master,  wonderful !  the  Queen's  house  is  as 
large  as  from  here  to  Nabtilagala  [a  hill  about  two 
miles  or  more  from  the  present  palace]. 

"  The  day  after  that  we  went  to  a  great  open  field, 
where  we  saw  the  soldiers.  Every  viutongole  [cap- 
tain I]  had  his  men  dressed  in  a  different  colour  of 
cloth.  We  were  in  one  gai'i  [cart  or  carriage],  and 
the  Queen  in  another.  This  time  we  saw  her  by 
herself,  and  knew  which  was  she  herself. 

"  Then  we  went  to  see  a  place  where  they  made 
cannon — a«great  lot  of  cannon,  very  big.  Two  hun- 
dred kegs  of  powder  [about  a  ton  in  all]  are  the  charge 
for  one  mzinga  [cannon].  It  fires  its  ball  as  far  as 
from  here  to  Myamagoma  [about  seven  miles  west 
of  this].  After  that  we  saw  where  they  made  guns — 
beautiful  guns,  and  very  many.  One  man  showed 
us  his  gun,  which  he  had  just  finished.  It  was  very 
fine.  Then  we  saw  where  they  made  the  gunpowder. 
Next  we  went  to  a  place  where  they  made  woollen 
cloth,  and  after  that  we  saw  them  making  bufta 
[bleached  calico].  [Saabadu  said  that  the  Queen  has 
sent  forty  pieces  of  this  as  a  present  to  Mtesa.] 

"After  we  had  been  many  days  in  London,  we 


A   VISIT   TO    THE  ZOO.  207 

went  away  to  another  place,  where  we  stayed  a  short 
time  [probably  in  Bedfordshire].  We  did  not  walk, 
but  went  into  a  wooden  house  [railway  carriage  ?], 
which  went  itself,  with  us  all  in  it ! 

"  When  we  came  back  to  London,  we  went  to  tell 
the  Queen  that  we  wanted  to  come  back  to  Uganda. 
But  she  said,  '  Not  yet  ;  you  have  not  seen  my  ani- 
mals.' So  we  went  to  see  the  animals  [in  Zoo?]. 
Every  animal  in  all  the  world  is  at  the  Queen's  place. 
First  we  spent  three  days  looking  at  lions ;  then  we 
looked  at  leopards  for  two  days  ;  then  we  looked  at 
buffaloes  for  three  days  ;  then  we  saw  elephants  for 
many  days  ;  then  we  saw  birds  for  six  days.  Every 
bird  from  every  place  is  there.  Then  we  saw  the 
crocodiles.  Wonderful !  wonderful ! !  wonderful ! ! ! 
the  crocodiles  are  not  wild.  They  hold  out  a  piece 
of  meat,  and  call  the  crocodile,  which  comes  and 
takes  it  out  of  a  man's  hand.  [Mtesa  asked  where 
they  get  the  food  for  all  the  animals.  Saabadu  re- 
plied :]  They  give  them  cows  and  goats.  [Mtesa 
asked  if  they  gave  the  cows  and  goats  alive  to  the 
animals.]  They  always  kill  the  beasts,  and  give  only 
the  dead  meat. 

"  After  that  we  saw  elephants  and  snakes,  and 
every  animal.  [Mtesa  said  to  his  chiefs,  '  Do  you 
hear  that,  how  many  animals  the  Bazungu  give  to 
their  Queen  'i '  The  Katikiro  replied,  *  She  must  be 
a  very  great  kabaka  (monarch).'  Mtesa  hinted  that 
his  chiefs  should  make  him  as  great  by  giving  him 
as  many  animals.] 


2o8  SAABADU'S    VISIT   TO   ENGLAND. 

"  Next  they  took  us  to  see  cows,  and  sheep,  and 
horses  [at  the  Agricultural  Hall  ?].  Such  a  lot  of 
cows  and  sheep  the  Bazungu  have  !  There  we  saw 
thousands  of  pigs,  and  each  pig  had  six  children. 
These  pigs  are  the  food  of  the  Queen ! 

"  Then  we  went  to  say  good-bye  to  the  Queen,  and 
she  gave  us  a  ship  to  come  in.  We  were  twelve 
months  in  going  to  England  from  here,  but  we  came 
back  to  Zanzibar  in  this  ship  in  one  month. 

"  At  Zanzibar  we  saw  Said  Burgash,  who  gave 
us  presents.  But  Said  Burgash  has  only  a  very 
little  place.  The  Arabs  tell  you  lies,  my  master, 
when  they  say  that  they  have  a  great  country  at 
Pwani  [the  coast].  The  coast  all  belongs  to  the 
English,  and  the  Arabs  are  their  slaves ! 

"  England  is  a  very  great  country.  It  is  an  island 
as  big  as  from  here  to  Zanzibar,  and  there  are  many 
islands  about  it,  so  many  that  we  could  not  count 
them.  They  make  bridges  across  the  rivers  so  big 
that  one  does  not  need  to  go  through  the  water  to 
cross  over. 

"  Oh,  my  master,  we  have  not  got  a  country  at  all ! 
The  estate  of  one  chief  in  England  is  as  large  as 
all  Uganda  and  Bunyoro  and  Busoga  together. 
['  Say  that  again,*  said  Mtesa.  '  I  like  to  hear  a 
man  speak  the  truth '  (?  i*).]  We  have  no  country, 
my  master.  ['  Do  you  hear  that  .•• '  said  Mtesa  to  the 
chiefs.     '  We  have  no  country  at  all.'] 

"  In  England  every  man  has  one  wife,  and  every 
wife  has  thirty  children  !    [Omnes :  'Oh,  many,  many, 


TOO  MUCH  FOR    THE  KING.  209 

many  children.']  They  have  other  women  in  the 
house,  who  are  not  their  wives  ;  they  only  do  work. 
The  Bazungu  who  come  here  have  no  wives,  but 
when  they  go  back  to  England  they  are  made  great 
chiefs,  and  each  one  gets  a  wife  as  a  reward  for  his 
services ! ! ! 

"We  saw  Mr.  Mackay's  father,  who  is  a  very  rich  [.'] 
and  great  man.  He  makes  books  and  paper  [!]  very 
much.  Mr.  Mackay's  friends  were  all  crying  for  him, 
and  said  that  they  feared  he  was  lost  in  Uganda.^ 

"We  saw  a  church  which  had  very  big  bells  [St. 
Paul's  .'].  When  the  bells  ring,  you  can  hear  them 
as  far  as  from  here  to  Busoga  [fifty  miles  !].  The 
inside  of  the  church  is  all  beautiful  wood  and  marble. 
The  Bazungu  have  only  one  religion. 

"  The  Queen's  house  is  all  made  of  looking-glasses, 
and  gold  and  silver  inside,  and  we  sat  on  chairs  made 
altogether  of  ivory  !  " 

At  this  stage  Mtesa  said  "  Stop,"  and  dismissed 
the  court,  telling  Saabadu  that  he  was  to  tell  no  one 
except  himself  what  he  had  seen  in  England. 

When  the  chiefs  had  all  gone,  Mtesa  sent  for  his 
wives  (their  name  is  legion),  and  made  Saabadu  tell 
again  in  their  presence  all  his  marvellous  story.  All 
the  women  replied,  "  Yoga,  yoga,  sebo,  osinze  "  ("  You 
have  done  well,  sir ;  you  have  been  victorious "). 
This  congratulation  was  to  Mtesa,  for  having  so  suc- 
cessfully sent  his  men  to  such  a  great  country. 

'  They  did  not  see  any  of  my  family. — A.  M.  M. 
A.  M.  M.  14 


SAABADU'S    VISIT  TO  ENGLAND. 


Mtesa  then  gave  Saabadu  a  cow  and  two  goats, 
with  a  piece  of  cah'co,  a  bundle  of  bark  cloth,  and 
two  women.  He  sent  him  down  to  the  Katikiro's  with 
one  of  his  pages,  who  was  directed  to  say  to  the 
judge,  "  Here  is  my  slave  who  has  come  from  Eng- 
land, and  whom  I  have  sent  to  you  to  hear  his 
report." 

The  Katikiro  is  said  to  have  given  him  other  two 
women,  while  he  has  got  one  somewhere  else  ;  so 
that  already  he  has  returned,  like  the  dog  to  his 
vomit,  to  the  life  of  debauchery  in  which  every  big 
man  lives  here.  This  is,  of  course,  part  of  Mtesa's 
acute  policy,  as  much  as  saying  to  the  man,  "Yes, 
you  have  seen  wonderful  things  in  England,  and  you 
say  that  English  women  are  better  than  Baganda  ; 
but  you  did  not  get  a  lot  of  wives  in  England,  as 
you  get  here.  You  will  enjoy  yourself  better  here 
than  in  Enrrland." 


THE    TIDE   EBBS   AND   FLOWS 


"  I  am  filled  with  comfort,  I  am  exceeding  joyful  in  all  our 
tribulation.  For,  when  we  were  come  into  Macedonia,  our  flesh 
had  no  rest,  but  we  were  troubled  on  every  side  ;  without  were 
fightings,  within  were  fears.  Nevertheless  God,  that  comforteth 
those  that  are  cast  down,  comforted  us  by  the  coming  of  Titus."' 
—5'/.  Paul. 

"That  the  tide  will  turn  I  believe  and  know.  The  sun  will 
rise  to-morrow  morning.  How  do  we  know .?  By  no  great 
process  of  faith  or  reason.  It  has  always  done  so.  History 
repeats  itself ;  rather  the  calm  and  regular  working  of  God  goes 
on  with  the  same  unerring  grandeur  in  both  worlds,  the  natural 
and  the  spiritual.  We  shall  not  hasten  the  sunrise  by  rushing 
eastward  to  help  it — the  chances  are  that  we  shall  stumble  in 
the  dark.  When  the  light  begins  to  dawn  we  can  see  where  we 
are  going,  and  can  rightly  recognise  the  lay  of  the  land." 

— A.  M.  Mackay. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
THE  TIDE  EBBS  AND  FLOWS. 

THE  Mission  being  utterly  without  supplies, 
Mackay  proceeds  to  Uyui  ^  for  barter  goods, 
and  writes  home  a  graphic  review  of  the  situation. 
On  his  return  to  Uganda,  the  missionaries  went  on 
quietly  teaching  a  few  lads  who  came  to  them, 
despite  atrocious  charges  brought  against  Mackay 
by  the  Arabs.  They  said  he  was  an  insane  murderer 
who  had  escaped  from  England,  and  for  a  time  put 
his  life  in  imminent  danger. 

In  March.  1881,  the  Rev.  P.  O'Flaherty  arrived, 
and  his  knowledge  of  the  Koran  and  readiness  of 
wit  gave  him  a  great  advantage  with  the  Arabs  at 
court,  and  he  soon  became  popular  with  Mtesa.  In 
the  following  March  several  baptisms  took  place, 
and  in  May,  1883,  the  Mission  was  still  further 
strengthened  by  the  arrival  of  the  Rev.  R.  P.  Ashe. 

To  HIS  Father: — 

*  Uyui,  Central  Africa, 

"  14th  June,  1880. 
"  I  came  down  here,  as  our  supplies  were  quite  ex- 

•  To  do  this  he  had  to  cross  the  lake,  and  then  make  a  three 
weeks'  journey  in  a  southerly  direction  by  land. 


2t4  THE    TIDE  EBBS  AND  FLOWS. 

hausted  in  Uganda.  Happily,  I  have  got  here  a  few 
loads  of  cowrie  shells,  and  a  little  calico.  That  I 
am  packing  up,  and  (D.V.)  in  ten  days  or  so  I  hoist 
my  flag  and  march  back  for  the  lake  and  Uganda — 
to  return — when  ?  I  left  Pearson  alone  with  Mtesa, 
and  I  must  hurry  back  to  join  him,  and  to  my  work 
there.  'Duty  before  pleasure,'  they  say.  But  my 
ditty  is  a  pleasure,  great  and  serious  as  the  drawbacks 
connected  with  it  are.  Buganda  (that  is  the  correct 
name  as  the  natives  say,  although  the  coast  men  call 
it  Uganda)  is  a  fair  land,  rich  in  hills  and  dales, 
banana  trees  and  palms  of  many  kinds  besides  ;  but 
while  '  every  prospect  pleases,'  there,  too,  '  man  alone 
is  vile.' 

"  Because  under  the  favourable  conditions  of  one 
strong  central  government  the  Baganda  have  in  many 
generations  of  peace  had  time  to  make  a  little  ad- 
vance in  civilization  beyond  their  black  brothers 
everywhere  round  about  them — these  being  ever  re- 
tarded by  internal  factions  and  fear  of  annihilation — 
they  have  educated  themselves  to  believe  that  their 
country  is  the  most  glorious  in  all  the  world,  and 
that  they  themselves  are  the  most  civilized  and 
enlightened  race  of  men  existing.  In  fact,  in  the 
eyes  of  every  Muganda  the  axis  of  the  earth  sticks 
visibly  out  through  the  roof  of  the  conical  hut  of 
their  king,  or  as  they  call  him,  Kabdka.  More  than 
once  this  very  Kabdka  has  asked  me  if  there  is  any 
other  power  in  the  world  equal  to  his !  No  one 
saying  that  there  exists  even   one   kingdom  greater 


CONCEIT  OF  THE  BAG  A  NBA.  215 

tJian  that  of  Mtesa  would  be  listened  to  for  a 
moment  at  the  court  of  Uganda. 

"  Hence  you  will  understand  that  in  such  a  land 
where  a  despot  reigns,  with  nobles  of  his  own  creat- 
ing— men  who  are  entirely  at  the  mercy  of  their 
sovereign,  for  it  has  been  the  use  and  wont  of  the 
king  to  set  up  one  to-day  and  set  him  down  to- 
morrow— men  who  have  never  travelled  beyond  the 
confines  of  their  own  country,  except  when  they 
are  sent  to  make  a  raid  on  their  more  feeble  neigh- 
bours— it  is  just  in  such  a  soil  where  the  grossest 
forms  of  vice  and  superstition  spring  up  and  grow  to 
maturity.  A  feeling  of  superiority  to  all  beside,  to 
foreigners — Arabs  and  white  men  alike — has  pro- 
duced an  amount  of  pride  and  self-conceit  more 
ridiculous  than  the  same  in  China.  Every  form  of 
lasciviousness  and  lust,  laziness,  greed,  falsehood, 
hatred,  and  murder,  not  only  exist  as  common  sins, 
but  are  rejoiced  in  by  the  court  and  the  nation.  The 
only  religion  is  witchcraft,  which  is  itself  a  system 
of  deception,  the  head  witch  of  all  being  believed  to 
be  the  incarnation  of  the  great  evil  spirit  they  call 
the  hibare,  and  whom  they  worship  as  the  ruler  of 
heaven  and  earth,  of  land  and  sea. 

"  Some  have  blamed  Mr.  Stanley  for  giving  far  too 
glowing  an  account  of  Mtesa  and  the  kingdom  which 
he  rules  over.  The  French  priests  are  especially 
ever  loud  in  their  denunciations  of  that  traveller  for 
writing,  on  the  strength  of  very  limited  acquaintance 
with   the   country,  what   they  call  utter  falsehoods, 


2i6  THE    TIDE  EBBS  AND  FLOWS. 

whereby  all  Europe  has  been  deceived.  But  I  can- 
not blame  Stanley.  He  and  Speke,  and  every  travel- 
ler, resided  only  a  few  months,  at  most,  at  Mtesa's 
court.  They  had  opportunity  of  seeing  only  the 
outside,  and  that  in  many  respects  is  fair  enough. 
Entering  the  country  from  the  side  of  Zanzibar,  one 
certainly  is  struck  with  not  a  little  admiration  at  the 
advance  which  the  Baganda  have  made  in  civilization 
over  all  the  tribes  between  the  coast  and  them.  Suez, 
Jeddah,  Aden,  and  Zanzibar,  apart  from  the  Arab 
element,  which  at  best  is  only  barbarous — not  savage, 
but  certainly  not  civilized — exhibit  only  a  populace 
remarkable  for  their  squalid  condition  of  filth  and 
poverty,  if  remarkable  for  anything.  Then,  among 
the  tribes  one  passes  through  all  the  way  inland,  the 
traveller  meets  with  only  petty  sultanships,  each  at 
war  with  the  other,  and  each  therefore  low  down 
in  the  scale  of  humanity,  as  each  lives  on  from  day 
to  day  merely  struggling  for  existence.  This  is  all 
one  sees  in  Usagara,  Uzaraino,  Ugogo,  and  Unyam- 
wezi.  In  Uganda  the  scene  is  changed.  There  one 
power  rules,  absolute,  yet  with  certain  ideas  of  pro- 
priety and  desires  for  improvement.  The  king  must 
have  the  best  of  everything,  and  receives  a  homage 
amounting  to  little  short  of  worship.  At  his  court 
Arabs  have  lived  for  more  generations  than  one. 
The  respect  shown  to  visitors  has  enticed  many  of 
them  to  come  and  see  the  vain,  conceited  king. 
Strangers  have  been  treated  well  on  a  short  visit, 
not  from  any   love  to  them,  but  that  they   may  go 


STANLEYS    VISIT  THE  DAWN  OF  A   NEW  ERA.  217 

away  witli  glowing  ideas  of  the  greatness  of  the 
court  and  the  wealth  of  the  monarch. 

'*  But  let  one  live  in  the  land  beyond  the  term  of 
novelty  of  display  and  profusion  of  hospitality  ;  let 
him  express  a  horror  of  the  barbarity  of  the  practices 
he  sees  even  at  court ;  let  him  lift  up  his  voice  in 
condemnation  of  treachery,  of  lies,  of  lust,  and  of 
cruelty  and  murder — then  the  spell  is  broken,  and 
the  character  of  the  people  comes  out  in  its  true 
light.  Instead  of  hospitality,  he  finds  hatred;  instead 
of  food,  he  finds  himself  face  to  face  with  famine  ; 
instead  of  being  received  as  he  expected,  as  a  wel- 
come benefactor  of  the  people,  as  a  teacher  of  truth 
and  a  leader  in  the  way  of  light,  a  lover  of  law  and 
love,  he  is  denounced  as  a  spy,  as  a  bringer-in  of 
foreign  customs,  and  especially  as  a  breaker-down 
of  the  national  institutions  and  religion. 

"  Yet  I  say — and  I  say  it  without  hesitation — the 
ice  is  broken.  For  a  time  the  old  gods  of  the  land 
had  to  give  way  to  the  creed  of  Arabia,  as  the  king 
saw  something  in  that  more  likely  to  add  prestige  to 
his  court  than  the  charm-filled  horns  of  the  magic 
men  and  the  frantic  dance  of  the  foolish  foretellers 
of  fortune.  Then  came  Stanley.  Let  the  enemies 
of  this  enterprising  traveller  scoff  as  they  will,  it  is 
a  fact  indisputable  that  with  his  visit  there  com- 
menced the  dawn  of  a  new  era  in  the  annals  of  the 
court  of  Uganda.  The  people  themselves  date  from 
Stanley's  day  the  commencement  of  leniency  and 
law  in  place  of  the  previous  reign  of  bloodshed  and 


2l8  THE    TIDE  EBBS  AND   FLOWS. 

terror.  '  Since  Stanley  came,'  they  say,  '  the  king  no 
more  slaughters  innocent  people  as  he  did  before  ; 
he  no  more  disowns  and  disinherits  in  a  moment  an 
old  and  powerful  chief,  and  sets  up  a  puppet  of  his 
own,  who  was  before  only  a  slave.'  Compared  with 
the  former  daily  changes  and  cruelties,  as  the  natives 
describe  them  to  me,  one  cannot  but  look  on  the 
present  government  in  Uganda  as  mildness  in  the 
extreme,  and  feel  thankful  to  God  for  the  mighty 
change. 

"  But  a  policy  of  iconoclasm  is  not  enough.  Any 
man  can  pull  down — or,  as  Carlyle  calls  it,  unbuild — 
in  a  day  what  has  been  the  work  of  centuries  to 
erect ;  but  to  build  anew,  in  the  place  of  the  ruin,  a 
better  and  nobler  structure,  that  will  be  a  work  which 
no  talk  of  an  hour  can  accomplish.  All  the  roots 
and  trunks  of  the  old  trees  are  there,  and  fresh  shoots 
cannot  but  be  ever  sprouting.  The  old  carnal,  evil 
human  nature  remains,  with  all  its  enmity  to  God 
and  to  all  that  is  good.  This  has  to  be  changed,  and 
it  is  not  in  the  power  of  man  to  do  that.  But  there 
are  the  means.  We  come  with  the  book  of  the  reve- 
lation of  the  love  of  God  to  men  in  our  hands,  and 
we  try  to  teach  its  glorious  precepts.  One  day  they 
listen,  and  another  day  they  sa)-,  '  We  want  none  of 
your  teaching  ;  we  have  a  religion  of  our  own,  which 
we  like  better  than  the  white  man's  religion.  If  you 
want  to  teach  us  anything,  show  us  how  to  make 
gunpowder  and  guns,  and  we  will  give  you  land  and 
slaves.'     Thus,  up   and  down,  in   and  out,  flows  the 


THE    GOSPEL  MUST  TRIUMPH.  219 

tide.  One  day  we  are  friends,  the  next  day  the  en- 
chanters prevail,  and  we  are  condemned  as  the  cause 
of  all  drought  and  disease. 

"  But  still  clearly  shines  the  morning  star,  the  sign 
of  the  gospel  of  peace.  The  burning  of  a  few  straws 
will  make  a  smoke,  and  for  the  time  the  stars  are 
rendered  invisible  in  the  sky.  The  flame  dies  out  at 
length,  and  there  again  Manet  iminota  Stella.  No- 
thing yet  has  ever  withstood  the  gospel  long.  Even 
Islam  shakes  before  it.  The  greater  the  opposition 
for  a  time,  the  sooner,  I  believe,  will  the  force  be 
spent,  and  then  the  truth  alone  shall  triumph.  Our 
foes  are  far  from  few  ;  and  in  addition  to  those  we 
have  found  in  the  country,  the  Romanists  have  forced 
themselves  into  our  field,  and  already  are  disputing 
every  inch  with  us. 

"  I  might  write  you  pages  describing  my  journey 
from  the  capital  of  Uganda  to  this  place — how  we 
had  to  spend  a  week  going  from  island  to  island 
trying  to  get  canoes ;  how  the  head  man  of  each 
canoe  refused  to  take  almost  any  of  our  things  on 
board,  each  one  trying  to  get  off  as  lightly  as  pos- 
sible ;  how  we  spent  some  thirty  days  in  these  frail, 
tiny  barks,  made  of  roughly  hewn  boards,  sewed  to- 
gether with  twigs ;  how  each  day,  in  starting,  the 
captain  of  the  fleet  held  out  a  banana  on  the  point 
of  his  paddle,  and  after  a  prayer  to  the  spirit  of  the 
sea,  dropped  the  offering  into  the  water  to  satisfy 
the  appetite  of  Neptune  ;  how  one  day  I  purchased 
a   great  and   potent   charm,  and   after  giving  all  the 


THE   TIDE  EBBS  AND  FLOWS. 


crowd  about  me  a  serious  lesson  on  the  worthlessness 
of  such  an  idol,  and  the  power  and  love  of  God 
above,  I  asked  them  what  was  in  the  charm.  '  The 
lubarCy  some  said  ;  while  others  said  they  believed 
it  all  a  lie,  and  that  there  was  no  Inbare  (or  spirit)  in 
the  thing.  '  Will  it  burn  ? '  I  asked.  '  Oh,  no  ;  the 
bibare  does  not  burn.'  '  Is  not  this  charm  mine  "i 
Did  I  not  buy  it?  '  'Yes,  it  is  yours,'  they  all  said. 
'  Then  I  can  do  with  it  what  I  like  ? '  '  Oh,  yes.' 
'  Very  good,'  I  replied  ;  so  taking  out  of  my  pocket 
a  small  lens,  I  made  fire  in  a  moment  with  the  sun's 
rays,  and  bidding  my  little  boy  gather  a  bundle  of 
dry  wood,  of  which  there  was  any  amount  lying  on 
the  beach,  I  soon  had  a  brilliant  blaze.  '  Can  your 
great  witches  make  fire  out  of  the  sun,  like  I  have 
done  t '  I  asked.  '  No,  no.'  '  Then,  you  see,  I  am 
cleverer  than  these  gods  whom  you  worship.'  '  Yes, 
you  make  magic,'  they  said.  '  Well,  you  say  there 
is  magic  in  this  charm  which  I  have  bought .'' ' 
'  Yes.'  '  Well,  let  us  see ; '  so  putting  the  great 
charm  into  the  heart  of  the  fire,  it  was  reduced  to 
ashes  in  a  (ew  moments,  half  of  the  bystanders  run- 
ning away  in  horror,  the  rest  standing  round,  hoping 
every  moment  that  some  terrible  judgment  would 
come  upon  me  for  my  sacrilege.  '  Now  the  devil  is 
dead,'  I  said,  '  and  you  all  see  that  I  have  told  you 
true,  that  there  is  no  saving  power  in  charms,  and 
that  God  alone  can  save  us.'  '  You  are  a  god,'  some 
said  ;  while  others  said,  '  You  are  the  devil.'  They 
have  the  two  words,  but  they  fear  and  worship  the 


TREACHERY  AND  ROBBERY. 


devil  only.     This  is  one  of  many  such-like  stones  of 
the  kind  which  I  might  narrate, 

"  One  day,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Kagera,  we  spied 
two  or  three  canoes  of  Baziba  (as  the  natives  of 
Buzongora  are  called)  on  the  shore  on  the  edge  of 
the  papyrus.  All  the  fleet  (fourteen  canoes)  made 
forthe  spot.  I  did  not  know  their  object.  On  ap- 
proaching, our  canoe-men  cried,  '  Milembe '  (peace), 
but  immediately  jumped  into  the  water,  each  man 
seizing  his  shield  and  spear  out  of  the  bow  of  the 
canoes,  and  commenced  appropriating  the  bundles 
of  peas  and  beans  and  nuts  with  which  the  three 
Buzongora  canoes  were  laden.  Some  remonstrance 
was  raised  by  the  owners,  when  at  once  they  were 
charged  and  driven  into  the  papyrus  jungle  at  the 
point  of  the  spear.  My  indignation  at  the  treachery 
and  robbery  was  roused.  I  jumped  into  the  water, 
and  rushed  in  between  the  poor  Baziba  and  their 
assailants.  Seizing  the  spear  of  the  captain  of  the 
fleet  as  he  had  it  levelled  to  hurl  at  the  timid  owners, 
I  threatened  to  spear  himself  with  it  if  he  did  not 
order  all  the  bales  of  beans  to  be  given  up  forthwith. 
Back  into  their  own  boats  I  drove  our  canoe-men  ; 
then  jumping  up  on  the  top  of  the  largest  of  the 
plundered  canoes,  I  ordered  the  whole  of  the  bundles 
to  be  returned.  The  canoe-men  were  now  terrified, 
and  surrendered  everything  forthwith.  Only  one  or 
two  fellows  tried  to  secrete  a  bundle  under  their 
seats  ;  but  I  jumped  from  one  canoe  to  another,  and 
giving  each  fellow  I  found  trying  to  deceive  me  a 


THE    TIDE  EBBS  AND   FLOWS. 


blow,  I  threw  with  my  own  hands  every  bundle  my 
eye  rested  on  back  into  the  right  vessels.  Now  came 
forward  the  poor  Baziba  out  of  the  papyrus,  and 
falling  down  on  their  knees,  adored  me  for  the  de- 
liverance I  had  effected  for  their  lives  and  property. 

"We  paddled  on  for  an  hour  to  our  halting-place 
for  the  night.  There  I  discovered  that  the  captain 
of  our  boats  had  himself  appropriated  several  bun- 
dles. The  Baziba  turned  up  again  to  claim  these, 
and  appealed  to  me  on  behalf  of  their  property.  As 
I  knew  that  the  canoe-men  wanted  food,  I  allowed 
our  captain  to  keep  what  he  had  got,  and  gave  out 
of  my  box  to  the  rightful  owners  nearly  a  thousand 
cowrie  shells  in  return  for  their  property.  They,  as 
well  as  our  own  men,  were  now  satisfied,  and  all 
round  I  received  a  cordial  vote  of  thanks  for  my 
rightful  dividing  of  justice! 

"  It  may  be  an  interesting  fact  for  Mr.  St.  John 
Vincent  Day,  to  mention  that  I  have  found  a  peculiar 
form  of  weapon  of  war,  made  only  of  wood,  and 
used  by  the  inhabitants  of  the  Sesse  Islands,  also  of 
Ukerewe,  and  again  in  Marya  and  Sengerema  (States 
of  Usukuma).  Iron  is  plentiful  enough  in  the.se 
places,  for  hoes  and  beautiful  hatchets  are  manu- 
factured out  of  it  ;  but  spears  are  generally  simply 
long,  pointed  sticks,  the  points  being  hardened  in  the 
fire.  The  Baganda  and  Basese  call  these  niagihita. 
In  Buzongora  also  these  are  almost  the  only  weapons, 
although  iron  is  very  plentiful,  and  is  there  made 
into   the   largest    and    finest   hatchets    I    have    seen 


NATIVE  SKILL   IN   IVORKIhG   IKON.  223 

on  the  lake.  The  natives  of  the  large  island  of 
Buvuma,  which  the  Baganda  have  repeatedly  tried 
to  subdue  in  vain,  fight  only  with  these  wooden 
spears,  and  slings  in  which  they  use  pebbles.  Inland, 
in  Marya,  I  have  seen  arrows  also  entirely  of  wood, 
i.e.,  having  no  metal  barb  ;  yet  there  the  smiths  are 
so  skilful  in  working  iron,  that  they  make  their  pipe- 
stalks  of  iron,  very  like  a  thin  gas-pipe,  but  really  a 
thin,  long,  narrow  iron  plate,  coiled  round  like  a 
riband,  but  so  tightly  as  to  look  like  a  pipe.  The 
usual  fighting  weapon  in  Usukuma  and  all  Unyam- 
wezi  is  a  thin -handled  stick,  with  a  very  heavy 
knotted  head.  No  shield  is  used  by  those  who  use 
this  weapon,  nor  by  the  islanders,  who  use  slings  or 
bow  and  arrow.  Flint  and  jasper  and  granite  abound 
in  these  countries,  while  brass  ornaments  are  every- 
where worn  ;  but  neither  stone  nor  brass  is  used  any- 
where for  arrow-heads,  while  battle-axes  are  quite 
unknown, 

"  I  have  made  notes  all  along  on  the  geology  of 
the  country,  both  along  the  shores  of  the  lake  and 
on  the  inland  march  south  of  Kagei ;  but  I  have  not 
revised  my  observations  yet,  so  as  to  make  them 
worth  sending  home. 

"  I  am  longing  to  be  back  at  my  work  again  at 
Mtesa's.  I  enclose  you  a  page  or  two  of  a  small 
reading  book  I  was  making  before  I  left.  But  I  was 
much  cramped  for  want  of  t3''pe,  while  our  press  was 
only  a  toj'.  Here  I  find  my  own  large  press  and 
type.     The   latter   I   shall  take  on  now,  leaving  the 


224  THE    TIDE  EBBS  AND   FLOWS. 

press  to  come  up  when  cloth  comes  to  pay  the  por- 
terage. With  more  type,  at  any  rate  I  hope  to  get 
on  faster  with  setting  up  my  translations.  The  note 
on  the  rainfall  may  be  of  value  to  you." 

In  the  early  part  of  1881,  the  missionaries  were 
virtually  prisoners,  fleeced  of  almost  everything, 
reduced  not  only  to  beggary,  but  to  temporary 
starvation.  This  was  chiefly  due  to  the  hostilities 
of  two  Arabs  against  INIackay,  who  had  never  even 
seen  them  until  they  arrived  in  Uganda  ;  but  his 
C.M.S.  brethren  at  Mpwapwa  had  relieved  them  of 
a  gang  of  female  slaves,  while  the  Londojis  boats 
had  interfered  with  them  in  some  way  at  Kilwa, 
when  they  were  bringing  a  crew  of  slaves  from 
Nyassa  country,  w4iere  they  used  to  trade  ;  and  as 
Mackay  had  come  by  the  way  of  the  East  Coast,  he 
was  supposed  to  be  under  the  wing  of  the  Consul, 
and  condemned  as  being  an  agent  of  the  British 
Government,  and  a  spy  on  them.  He  writes  at  this 
time  :  "  It  has  also  been  my  misfortune  to  be  more 
proficient  in  Suahili  and  Luganda  than  any  other 
member  of  the  Mission.  I  alone  have  been  able  to 
address  the  king  and  court  directly  in  language 
they  could  understand.  Hence  it  is  that  I  am 
branded  as  a  disputer  and  raiser  of  rows.  Of  course, 
I  had  to  open  my  mouth  at  times  against  murder 
and  adultery,  and  cruel  raids  for  slaves  on  a  terrible 
scale,  and  even  worse  sins — so  bad  that  one  cannot 
tell  about  them  in  black  and  white." 


THE  KING  AND    THE   CAT.  225 

Journal,  Feb.  26th,  188 1. —  The  Frenchmen  last 
evening  sent  a  kind  note,  saying  that  they  had  heard 
that  I  was  very  ill,  sending  at  the  same  time  a  bottle 
of  wine  with  iron  and  quinine  in  it,  and  offering  us 
a  milch  cow. 

Mr.  Pearson  went  to  see  them  this  afternoon. 

M.  Lourdel  was  again  true  to  his  character  of  a 
'■^  bird  of  ill  omen."  He  says  that  the  king  had 
consulted  him  as  to  whether  Pearson  and  I  should  be 
allowed  to  leave.  Lourdel  says  he  advised  that  we 
should  be  permitted  to  go  and  come  as  we  like.  The 
king  had  asked  him  where  it  was  that  the  Bazungu  got 
so  much  cleverness,  and  if  he  (Mtesa)  could  not  get  so 
many  great  things  for  his  country.  Lourdel  did  not 
say  what  reply  he  gave,  but  reported  that  again  they 
had  been  talking  in  court  about  putting  me  to  death. 
The  Arabs,  of  course,  were  the  instigators  in  this. 
They  told  the  king  a  ridiculous  fable,  which  they 
interpreted  to  the  prejudice  of  the  Bazungu,  and 
especially  to  my  prejudice. 

"A  certain  king,"  they  said,  "had  a  favourite  cat, 
which  was  reported  to  have  one  day  eaten  all  the 
eggs.  The  king,  however,  said,  '  It  is  my  cat,  let  it 
alone  ;  it  must  eat.'  Next  day  it  was  reported  to 
have  eaten  the  foxvls.  '  Let  it  alone,'  said  the  king, 
'  it  is  my  favourite  cat  ;  it  must  eat'  After  this  it 
ate  the  goats,  and  then  all  the  cows  ;  but  still  the 
king  would  not  let  the  cat  be  touched.  Next  it  ate 
up  all  the  people,  and  the  king's  wives,  and  then  his 
children,  and  finally  it  ate  up  the  king  himself.    Only 

A.  M.  M.  15 


226  THE    TIDE   EBBS  AND  FLOWS. 

07ie  son  of  the  king  escaped  by  hiding  himself.  Mean- 
time the  cat  grew  and  swelled  to  a  great  size,  from 
having  devoured  so  manj- things.  But  the  one  prince 
who  escaped,  succeeded  in  killing  the  cat  at  length. 
When  he  cut  it  open,  he  found  in  it  all  the  eggs  and 
the  fowls  and  the  goats  and  the  cows  and  the  people 
and  the  wives  and  the  king's  sons.  But  in  the  act  of 
cutting  the  cat  up,  the  prince  accidentally  wounded 
in  the  thigh  one  of  his  brother  princes  inside  the  cat. 
This  fellow  got  out  and  said,  '  What  did  you  wound 
me  for  ? '  *  Do  you  not  see,'  said  the  other,  '  that  I 
have  been  doing  j^ou  a  good  service  in  letting  you 
out  ?  '  But  he  refused  to  be  at  peace,  and  tried  to 
kill  the  prince  who  had  let  him  out  "  !  ! ! 

The  wonderful  cat  is  the  English,  and  the  wounded 
prince  who  wished  to  kill  his  deliverer,  said  the 
Arabs,  is  Mackay.  "  You,  Mtesa,  have  conferred 
every  benefit  on  him,  but  he  means  only  to  return 
you  evil  for  good  1  " 

Could  enmity  and  falsehood  go  further  }  But  none 
of  these  things  move  me.  The  Lord  has  preserved 
me  many  a  time  from  the  hatred  of  these  revilers  and 
wicked  men,  who,  for  no  reason  at  all.  delight  so  to 
speak  all  manner  of  evil  against  me  falsely.  It  was 
this  very  morning  that  Pearson  and  I  read  together 
at  prayers  the  51st  chapter  of  Isaiah  : — 

"  I,  even  I,  am  He  that  con^forteth  you  :  who  art  thou,  that 
thou  shouldesi  be  afraid  of  a  man  that  shall  die,  and  of  the  son 
of  man  which  shall  be  made  as  grass  ;  and  fuigettest  the  LORD 
thy  maker,  that  hath    stretched  forth  the  heavens,  and  laid  the 


THE    WONDERFUL  PUMP. 


foundations  of  the  earth  ;  and  hast  feared  continually  everj'  day 
because  of  the  fury  of  the  oppressor,  as  if  he  were  ready  to 
destroy  ?  and  where  is  the  fury  of  the  oppressor  ?  The  captive 
exile  hasteneth  that  he  may  be  loosed,  and  that  he  should  not 
die  in  the  pit,  nor  that  his  bread  should  fail.  But  I  am  the 
Lord  thy  God,  that  divided  the  sea,  whose  waves  roared  : 
the  Lord  of  hosts  is  His  name.  And  I  have  put  my  words  in 
thy  mouth,  and  I  have  covered  thee  in  the  shadow  of  mine 
hand." 

With  such  a  promise,  and  such  a  refuge,  and  such  a 
God,  who  shall  be  afraid  }  Lord  God,  give  us  more 
firm  faith  in  Thee. 

As  for  these  Mohammedans  and  all  others  who  so 
malign  us,  we  would  have  no  bitter  feelings  in  our 
hearts  against  them.  Lord,  have  mercy  on  them,  and 
lead  them  to  know  Thee,  and  then  will  they  love 
Thee  and  love  Thy  servants. 

June  i()th,  i88r. — Water!  water!  !  That  has  been 
the  difficulty.  By  examination  of  the  hole  where 
all  the  natives  near  and  ourselves'  have  hitherto  been 
obtaining  water,  I  noticed  that  under  the  subsoil 
of  red  sandy  clay,  which  has  a  great  thickness 
generally,  there  is  a  more  porous  stratum  of  lighter 
stuff,  and  then  a  stratum  of  blue  potter's  clay,  above 
which  the  water  lies.  By  taking  levels  with  the 
theodolite,  I  found  that  I  could  obtain  water  at  a 
convenient  spot,  within  our  own  land,  by  sinking 
only  sixteen  feet.  Several  men  I  set  on  the  work, 
with  pick  and  spade,  excavating  a  hole  eight  feet  by 
four  square.  When  we  got  too  far  down  to  throw 
up,  I  set  up  a  trestle  of  strong  trees  ;  and  with  rope 


228  THE    TIDE  EBBS  AND   FLOWS. 


and  pulley  and  bucket,  much  to  the  astonishment 
of  all  the  natives,  we  hoisted  up  the  clay,  till  we 
reached  water  just  at  the  depth  I  predicted.  The 
Baganda  never  saw  a  deep  well  before,  and  would 
not  believe  that  water  could  be  had  on  a  hill-side 
until  they  saw  the  liquid  itself.  It  took  more  than 
a  week  to  sink  the  well  ;  but  when  I  afterwards  re- 
paired a  battered  pump  which  I  bought  in  London, 
and  they  saw  a  copious  stream  ascend  twenty  feet 
high,  and  flow,  and  flow,  as  long  as  one  worked  the 
handle,  their  wonder  and  amazement  knew  no 
bounds.  "  Makay  lubare  !  Makay  lubare  dala  !  "  was 
cried  by  all.  (Mackay  is  the  great  spirit,  he  is  truly 
the  great  spirit.)  But  I  told  them  that  there  was 
only  one  great  Spirit,  that  is  God,  and  I  was  only 
a  man  like  themselves.  To  each  company  that  came 
near  I  explained  the  action  of  the  pump,  some  un- 
derstanding best  when  I  said  it  was  only  a  sort  of 
elephant's  trunk  made  of  copper,  while  others  could 
comprehend  that  it  was  only  (as  I  said)  a  beer- 
drinking  tube  (called  a  liiscke)  on  a  large  scale,  with 
a  tongue  of  iron  that  sucked  up  the  water,  as  their 
tongues  suck  up  the  beer  from  their  gourds.  "  Oh, 
the  Bazungu,  the  Bazungu  !  they  are  the  men  ;  they 
can  do  everything  ;  the  Arabs  and  Wangwana  don't 
know  anything  at  all ;  they  can  only  draw  water 
in  the  swamp  where  we  get  it  ourselves  ;  but  oh, 
eh,  eh,  Mackay  is  clever,  clever  ;  the  king  will  get 
them  to  carry  him  here  to  see  this  wonderful  thing." 
Mr.  O'Flaherty  enhances  the  greatness  of  the  mar- 


**  GREAT  NEWS." 


vel  by  telling  all  and  sundry  that  I  can  bring  the  very 
jijaiija  itself  up  to  the  door  of  the  palace,  with 
all  the  fish  and  canoes  as  well  ! 

Oct.  St/i,  1 88 1. — My  old  faithful  pupil  and  assistant, 
Sembera  Kumunbo,  has  turned  up  again  several 
times.  His  master  lives  very  far  off,  hence  he  has 
difficulty  in  coming  often.  To-day  he  brought  me 
a  note  written  by  himself,  and  very  legibly,  although 
he  has  never  had  a  lesson  in  writing, — written  in 
Luganda,  with  a  pointed  piece  of  spear-grass,  and 
some  ink  of  dubious  manufacture,  made  of  pot  soot 
and  plantain  juice.  It  ran  thus — "  Bwana  Mackay, 
Sembera  has  come  with  compliments  and  to  give 
you  great  news.  Will  you  baptize  him,  because  he 
believes  the  words  of  Jesus  Christ?"     {See  page  466.) 

This  was  an  interesting  case.  Sembera  was  one 
of  my  very  first  pupils.  He  was  most  diligent. 
He  is  only  a  slave  of  Munakulya,  one  of  the  first 
mtongoles,  and  has  taught  his  master  to  read  also. 
With  me  he  read  everything  I  had  to  put  into  his 
hands  :  one  or  two  Gospels,  the  Acts,  the  Books 
of  Kings,  and  many  Psalms,  besides  one  or  two 
Epistles.  To  my  knowledge,  his  life  is  exemplary, 
and  his  understanding  and  reception  of  Christian 
truth  very  good  for  his  limited  opportunities.  May 
the  Lord  Himself  perfect  the  good  work  begun  in 
his  heart,  and  make  him  a  chosen  and  true  disciple  ! 

Christmas,  1881. — A  dying  boy  desires  baptism. 
Not  long  ago  there  died  one  of  our  lads  who  had 
been  reading  with  Mr.  O'Flaherty.     He  was  ill,  and 


230  THE    TIDE   J: BBS  AND   FLOWS. 

for  a  while  we  missed  him.  Then  we  heard  that 
he  was  dead.  He  used  to  show  great  eagerness  not 
only  to  learn  to  read,  but  to  become  acquainted 
with  the  truth  itself.  The  other  day,  when  waiting 
in  the  court  precincts,  Mr.  O'Flaherty  was  accosted 
by  a  lad,  who  handed  him  a  Suahili  Gospel,  saying 
that  it  was  given  him  by  Duuiulira  to  return  to  the 
white  men  {inuziingu).  This  lad's  story  was  most 
affecting.  He  said  that  he  used  to  be  a  most  ardent 
follower  of  the  liibare,  but  he  had  recently  come  to 
leave  his  old  superstition  ;  and  in  proof  of  what  he  said, 
he  showed  Mr.  O'Flaherty  that  he  had  no  longer  any 
charms  about  him.  He  continued,  that  his  friend 
Dumulira  had  asked  him  to  come  to  us  for  medicine 
for  him,  but  he  was  afraid,  as  he  did  not  know  us. 
The  sick  lad  had  assured  him  that  we  would  certainly 
either  go  to  see  him,  or  send  him  medicine.  All 
day  long  he  read  in  the  Gospel  which  he  had  (St. 
Mark's)  ;  and  when  he  found  himself  in  so  much  pain 
that  he  expected  to  die,  he  charged  this  lad  to  bring 
back  the  Gospel  to  Mr.  O'Flaherty  without  fail.  He 
then  asked  the  liibare  lad  to  go  and  fetch  some 
water  from  a  pool  near.  When  the  water  was 
brought,  he  bade  his  companion  sprinkle  some  on 
his  head,  and  name  over  him  the  names  of  the  Father, 
the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost.  Soon  after  that  he 
died.  I  do  believe  that  this  baptism  by  a  luhare 
lad  has  been  written  in  heaven. 

It  seems  to  have  much   moved   the  lad    who  told 
the  story,  for  he  professes  to   have   lost   his   faith  in 


FIRST  BAPTISMS,  231 

the  lubare,  or  great  evil  spirit  who  is  the  god  of 
the  land,  and  wishes  to  come  to  learn  to  know  the 
Book  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  Word  of  God  takes  root 
where  least  expected,  and  brings  forth  riper  fruit 
ihan  our  unbelieving  hearts  had  looked  to  see. 

Writing  to  his  father  on  April  ist,  1882,  he 
says  : — 

"On  the  i8th  of  March,  Mr.  O'Flaherty  bap- 
tized five  of  our  first  converts — all  young  men,  who 
have  been  under  careful  instruction  for  some  time, 
and  who  have  for  long  been  eager  for  baptism. 
May  they  have  your  prayers  that  they  may  stand 
firm  in  the  faith  amid  the  great  heathenism  around, 
and  that  they  may  grow  in  grace  and  in  the  know- 
ledge of  God's  most  Holy  Word,  which  can  make 
them  wise  unto  salvation. 

"  Meantime  the  work  of  translating  the  Scriptures 
is  going  rapidly  forward,  while  our  own  knowledge 
of  the  language  is  increasing.  But  a  layman  is  at 
a  great  disadvantage  in  a  mission.  It  is,  of  course, 
expected  that  preaching,  teaching,  and  translational 
work  form  the  -hief  and  peculiar  employment  of  the 
ordained  missionary,  however  qualified  another  may 
be  to  do  such  work.  But  secular  work  must  also 
be  done  by  some  one  ;  and  if,  meantime,  I  must 
be  employed  chiefly  in  that, 'I  have  no  right  to 
complain,  'for  the  body  is  not  one  member,  but 
many.      And  if  they   were   all  one  member,   where 


232  THE    TIDE  EBBS  AND  FLOWS. 

were  the  body?'  All  are  necessary,  and  therefore 
all  are  of  the  body. 

"  You  remember  how  the  sons  of  Kohath,  Gershon, 
and  Merari  had  an  important  part  to  play  in  the 
erection  and  carriage  of  the  tabernacle.  It  would 
never  have  done  for  these  men  to  have  '  struck  ' 
because  they  did  not  get  Aaron's  work  to  do.  So 
I  am  content  to  do  whatever  has  to  be  done,  so 
that  the  work  goes  forward. 

"  I  am  glad  you  did  not  take  the  glass  off  the 
pictures  you  sent  me.  Every  bit  of  glass  is  valuable 
here.  Before  now  I  have  had  to  drive  the  wolf  from 
the  door  on  a  hungry  day,  by  taking  the  glass  off 
lanterns,  etc.,  silvering  them,  and  selling  them  as 
mirrors  to  buy  food  with." 

Journal,  Oct.  I2,th,  1882. — This  is  my  birthday,  age 
thirty-three.  Much  cause  I  have  for  thankfulness 
to  the  good  Lord  for  all  His  care  over  me  in  these 
years  till  this  day.  My  work  at  present  is,  I  hope, 
only  preparatory  to  more  useful  employment  in  His 
cause  here.     .     .     . 

.  .  .  We  are  truly  thankful  to  God  that  no 
more  serious  consequences  happened  in  this  danger- 
ous rencontre  [that  of  a  sorcerer  in  one  of  his 
frenzies  (here  called  Devil  possession)  attacking  Mr. 
O'Flaherty].  I  made  a  similar  narrow  escape  with 
my  life  in  this  place  some  years  ago,  once  in  the 
open  road,  and  on  another  occasion  when  the  great 
luhare  came  to    court,    and  every  man  and    woman 


CLEVER  ANTS.  n% 


in  the  land  cursed  my  name  for  belying  their  goddess. 
On  that  occasion  God  alone  knows  what  a  death 
He  saved  me  from. 

My  house  has  of  late  been  subject  to  terrible 
attacks  of  black  ants.  Night  after  night  thty 
swarmed  into  all  the  rooms  in  countless  myriads. 
Hot  ashes  we  spread  about  everywhere,  but  only  to 
drive  them  from  one  place  to  another.  No  plague 
of  Egypt  in  the  days  of  Moses  could  have  been 
worse  than  this  pestilence  of  ferocious,  biting  ants. 
The  soldiers  of  them  are  half  an  inch  long,  or  more, 
and  have  terrible  mandibles.  They  take  so  ferocious 
a  grip  of  the  flesh  that  they  allow  themselves  to 
be  pulled  in  two  before  they  let  go  their  hold  on 
one's  skin.  One  day  I  had  a  sheep  killed,  and  the 
tail,  which  consists  of  pure  fat,  we  hung  up  some 
five  feet  from  the  ground  on  a  bar.  Next  morning 
I  found  that  they  had  made  a  regular  Jacob's  ladder 
from  the  floor  to  the  fat  tail.  The  soldier  ants  had 
formed  a  chain  in  the  air  with  their  bodies  and  claws, 
up  and  down  which  the  myriads  of  smaller  ants 
nimbly  ran,  carrying  off  the  fat !  It  was  a  grand 
feat  of  engineering.  Another  night  I  was  printing. 
The  smell  of  the  ink  seemed  to  attract  them,  for  in 
they  came  swarming  all  over  the  wall  against  which 
my  table  stood.  I  removed  the  press  to  the  other 
side  of  the  room  and  continued  my  work,  getting 
ashes  strewn  over  all  the  side  where  they  were.  But 
in  ten  minutes  they  had  swarmed  through  the  wall 
of  straw  right    round  to  my  new  position,    and   on 


234  THE    TIDE  EBBS  AND   FLOWS. 


to  the  press  and  over  all  the  papers.  It  seemed 
that  the  ink  took  their  fancy.  I  had  to  remove  to 
anoiher  room,  but  there  they  came  also,  in  spite  of 
fire,  ashes  and  all.  I  did  not  get  entirely  rid  of  them 
till  I  had  finished  the  impression. 

A  few  days  ago  I  came  suddenly  into  my  room, 
and  stopped  short  just  in  time  to  avoid  stepping 
on  a  huge  serpent.  The  reptile  had  two  large  rats 
in  his  grasp,  one  of  which  he  had  killed  ;  but  the 
other  got  ofT,  as  the  snake's  attention  was  attracted 
to  me.  I  got  a  stick  and  let  fly  at  the  brute,  but 
he  made  oft"  into  the  wall.  I  set  the  boys  on  watch 
outside  to  see  if  he  would  go  out,  and  sure  enough 
he  did  so,  when  they  killed  him.  Next  day,  they 
killed  another  which  was  about  coming  into  my 
room.  It  is  the  rats  that  these  horrid  vipers  are 
after.  I  still  shudder  to  think  of  them,  and  thank 
God  for  my  preservation. 

O'Flaherty  has  been  working  for  a  fortnight  taking 
in  a  new  piece  of  ground  in  the  swamp  at  the 
bottom  of  the  plantation.  He  and  the  men  had  every 
day  encounters  with  snakes,  killing  them  in  great 
numbers.  Worse,  however,  were  several  most  poison- 
ous adders  which  they  killed.  The  natives  declare 
that  the  sting  of  these  adders  produces  almost  in- 
stantaneous death.  I  have  cured  several  people  here 
of  snake  bites,  by  free  excision  of  the  part,  and 
application  of  lunar  caustic.  Every  day  I  have  a 
host  of  cases  for  medical  treatment.  Some  of  them 
almost  bafile  my  skill.     Even  the  work  of  an  accon- 


A  SOLEMN  APPEAL.  235 

cheur  must  be  done  by  the  missionary  here.  Poor 
things,  because  I  relieved  one  or  two  at  first,  they 
come  now  imploring  my  aid,  when  their  own  doctors 
fail,  whether  1  understand  the  complications  of  their 
case  or  not.  But  I  do  my  best,  and,  by  God's 
blessing,  the  treatment  has  been  generally  successful. 
They  have  shown  themselves,  too,  very  grateful. 

The  labour  involved  in  preparing  for  the  burial 
of  Namasole,  the  queen-mother,  was  perhaps  the 
most  formidable  piece  of  manual  work  forced  upon 
Mackay  by  the  necessities  of  himself  and  his  brethren. 
His  skill  and  willing  service  frequently  softened  the 
temper  of  Mtesa,  and  disposed  him  to  be  friendly 
to  the  Mission.  We  only  give  here  the  touching 
scene  in  which  he  solemnly  appeals  to  the  king 
about  his  soul's  salvation. 

"  Tell  me,"  said  Mtesa,  "  how  they  bury  in  your 
country."  I  said,  "  But  let  me  tell  you  what :  all 
that  fine  cloth  and  those  fine  coffins  will  one  day 
all  be  rotten.  It  may  take  ten  years,  or  maybe  a 
hundred  years,  or  it  may  be  a  thousand  years ; 
but  one  day  all  will  be  rotten,  and  the  body  inside 
will  rot  too.  Now  we  know  this  ;  hence  in  Chris- 
tian countries  we  say  that  it  matters  little  in  what 
way  the  body  is  buried,  for  it  will  rot  some 
lime  or  other :  but  it  matters  everything  what 
becomes  of  the  soul.  Look  at  these  two  head 
chiefs  of  yours  sitting  by  you.     They  are  both  very 


236  THE    TIDE   EBBS  AND  FLOWS. 

rich.  Next  to  you,  they  are  the  greatest  in  the 
kingdom.  They  have  cloth,  and  cattle  and  lands, 
and  women  and  slaves — very  much  of  all.  Here 
they  have  much  honour,  and  when  they  die  they 
will  be  buried  with  much  honour,  but  yet  their 
bodies  will  one  day  rot.  Now  let  me  have  only  an 
old  bark  cloth,  and  nothing  more  of  this  world's 
riches,  and  I  would  not  exchange  for  all  the  wealth 
and  all  the  greatness  of  both,  because  all  their  great- 
ness will  pass  away,  while  their  souls  are  lost  in 
the  darkness  of  belief  in  the  lubare,  while  I  know 
that  my  soul  is  saved  by  Jesus  Christ  the  Son  of 
God,  so  that  I  have  riches  that  never  perish,  which 
they  know  nothing  about." 

Mtesa  then  began  with  his  usual  excuses.  "  There 
are  these  two  religions,"  he  said.  "  When  Masudi 
[a  Mohammedan]  reads  his  book,  the  Koran,  the 
Bazungu  [Europeans]  call  it  lies ;  when  the  Ba- 
zungu  read  their  book,  Masudi  calls  it  lies :  which 
is  true  .?" 

I  left  my  seat,  and  going  forward  to  the  mat  on 
which  the  Katikiro  was  sitting,  I  knelt  on  it,  and 
in  the  most  solemn  manner,  I  said,  "  Oh,  Mtesa,  my 
friend,  do  not  always  repeat  that  excuse  !  When 
you  and  I  stand  before  God  at  the  great  day  of 
judgment,  will  you  reply  to  Almighty  God  that  you 
did  not  know  what  to  believe,  because  Masudi  told 
you  one  thing  and  Mackay  told  you  another  1  No, 
you  have  the  New  Testament  ;  read  there  for  your- 
self.    God  will  judge  you  by  that.     There  never  was 


BOOK,    HAMMER  AND    TONGS.  237 

any  one  yet  who  looked  for  the  truth  there  and  did 
not  find  it." 

The  court  soon  after  rose. 

''April,  1883. 

"  I  am  not  a  little  disappointed  that  Wise  should 
be  kept  at  the  south  end  of  the  lake,  as  I  have  had 
a  long  enough  spell  of  work  in  iron  and  wood  and 
clay,  and  have  been  living  in  hopes  to  get  an  assistant 
to  relieve  me  of  much  of  such  work,  that  I  may  make 
more  use  of  the  language  I  have  been  striving  hard 
to  pick  up — I  mean  in  the  way  of  teaching  and  trans- 
lation. But  there  seems  to  have  been  a  sort  of  fatality 
(excuse  the  word)  all  along  against  artisans  reaching 
Uganda.  So  I  must  hold  on  as  I  have  been  doing — 
now  with  book  in  hand,  and  now  with  hammer  and 
tongs.  It  is  strange  how  different  work  abroad  is 
from  that  at  home.  Here  we  don't  know  anything 
about  properly  attired  clergymen  in  black  cloth  and 
white  tie,  with  sober  countenance  and  hands  undefiled 
with  things  of  earth.  Even  the  Romish  priests,  when 
here,  with  all  their  sacerdotal  ideas,  were  very  indus- 
trious and  industrial  in  their  way.  Perhaps  you  will 
say  that  '  Necessity  knows  no  law.'  I  allow  it,  but  I 
believe  that  St.  Paul  dictated  his  Epistles  between 
the  stitches  of  his  tent-making, 

"  Geikie's  '  Hours  with  the  Bible '  must  be  an  in- 
teresting book.  I  saw  some  time  ago  advertised 
Geikie's  *  Life  and  Words  of  Jesus,'  and  I  sent  to 
our  London  agents  for  it  ;  perhaps  it  may  come  some 
time  within   the    next  few  years.       I  have   Farrar's 


238  THE    TIDE  EBBS  AND   FLOWS. 

*  Life  of  Christ,'  which  has  always  given  me  much 
pleasure  to  read  again  a  chapter  of.  The  book  is  a 
romance  throughout ;  but  one  tiling  has  struck  me  as 
wanting  in  Farrar,  and  which  I  hope  will  not  be  so 
wanting  in  Geikic,  viz.,  a  life  of  Christ  as  the '  Messiah.' 
Farrar's  book  is  a  life  oiJcs7is,  not  o^  the  Christ  as  such. 
There  seems  to  me  to  be  a  great  subject  here  un- 
written upon,  except  that  in  the  list  of  books  quoted 
by  Farrar,  he  mentions  one  called  'The  Messiah' 
(no  author).  I  have  sometimes  thought  that  if  I  had 
time  I  would  try  to  grasp  the  subject  myself,  though 
the  magnitude  of  it  appals  me." 

Mackay  now  proceeds  to  the  south  end  of  the 
lake  to  build  a  boat,  which  was  taken  out  in  planks 
by  the  late  Bishop  Hannington  on  his  first  journey 
inland,  and  which  had  been  presented  by  his  friends 
in  Brighton. 

"At  Kaitaba's,  Buzongora, 
"On  the  Nyanza, 

"()thjuly,  1883. 
**  A  missionary  minister  is  the  right  kind  of  pastor, 
to  my  mind.  He  is  sure  to  hold  more  enlarged  views 
of  men  and  things  than  others,  who  confine  their 
thoughts  to  their  own  little  circle.  I  cannot  but  agree 
heartily  with  your  explanation  of  the  text  in  Matthew 
xxiv.  The  Gospel  is  meant  to  be  a  rvitness  unto,  not 
a  testimony  against,  all  nations.  It  is  undoubtedly  a 
proclamation  meant  to  be  believed,  and  which  has 
been,  and  ever   will  be  believed,   wherever  faithfully 


THE  HEATHEN  AT  HOME  AND  ABROAD.       239 

proclaimed.  As  you  showed,  the  very  mention  of 
gathermg  the  elect  distinctly  proves  this.  Only  I  don't 
believe  that,  as  a  rule,  the  mere  proclamation  of  the 
gospel  to  people  who  have  no  ideas  at  all  of  God  and 
His  government  will  lead  them  to  believe,  any  more 
than  the  same  among  heathen  at  home,  e.g.,  street 
arabs,  who  are  not  so  wholly  destitute  of  knowledge 
as  heathen  here ;  a  long  and  patient  course  of  train- 
ing seems  requisite.  Unfortunately,  popular  ideas  at 
home  are  very  different ;  hence  disappointment  at 
our  slow  progress.  But  truth  is  better  and  stronger 
than  fiction,  and  will  prevail  more  among  right- 
thinking  men. 

"You  will  do  a  noble  work  if  you  get  good  Chris- 
tians in  England  to  understand  fully  the  exact  nature 
of  the  case — that  the  heathen  do  not,  by  nature, 
wish  the  gospel,  although  we  know  they  sorely  need 
it ;  that  in  every  land  people  are  jealous  for  their 
faith,  which  came  down  from  their  ancestors  of  long- 
lost  memory  ;  that  they  are  greedy  of  gain,  and 
jealous  for  their  land,  which  they  fancy  we  have  come 
to  possess,  or  rather  spy  out  with  a  view  to  our  nation 
possessing.  They  understand  only  material  gain  at 
first,  and  are  generally  disappointed  that  we  do  not 
aid  them  more  in  that  way  ;  but  it  takes  time  to  win 
their  confidence,  and  convince  them  that  we  mean  to 
be  their  true  friends.  When  we  have  gained  that 
point,  but  not  till  then,  we  can  build  upon  it.^ 

"Patiently,  and  as  intensely  loving  our  work,   but  loving 


240  THE    TIDE  EBBS  AND   FLOWS. 

"This  is,  I  believe,  the  experience  of  every  true 
missionary.  I  am  sorry  that  your  people  do  not  care 
to  hear  more  about  India.  It  would  not  do  for  mis- 
sionaries to  be  likewise  '  tired  of  India.'  That  is  a 
vast  field,  more  than  all  Africa  put  together — more 
difficult,  on  account  of  standing  creeds,  and  more 
populous,  although  not  so  romantic  as  young  Africa. 
There  we  have,  moreover,  protection  under  a  settled 
government,  which  is  all  the  assistance  we  now  look 
for  in  that  quarter. 

"I  must  try  to  put  a  few  jottings  of  a  journal 
together  some  time,  for  since  Christmas  I  have  been 
too  busy  to  write  one.  Meantime,  I  may  only  say 
that  of  late  I  have  been  devoting  more  time  to 
teaching  than  to  anything  else.  We  have  not  a  few 
young  men  who  are  candidates  for  baptism,  and 
some  of  them  have  read  largely  with  me,  as  we  got  a 
lot  oi  fresh  translations  in  Suahili  with  our  caravan 
in  the  end  of  January.  I  built  a  small  school  before 
I  left,  and  Mr.  O'Flaherty  holds  a  short  service  in  it 
every  morning,  while  on  Sundays  we  had  two  services, 
one  in  Suahili,  and  the  other  in  Luganda.  A  lot 
of  young  ones  have  been  making  progress  in  reading 
also,  and  I  am  sending  home  an  order  for  slates  and 
copy-books,  maps,  etc.     I  printed  also  some  couple  of 

more  those  for  whom  we  work,  we  must  build  in  the  spirit  first 
and  from  that  to  the  flesh,  and  not  from  without  inwards, 
making  even  our  most  mechanical  and  outward  acts  aliyht  with 
the  radiance,  and  aglow  with  the  heart  of  pure  love." — Rev.  Dr. 
Clifford. 


BOAT  BUILDING.  241 


thousand  pages  of  reading  sheets,  Commandments, 
etc.,  with  short  portions  of  Scripture,  in  Luganda.  I 
had  only  a  toy  press  to  work  with,  and  a  poor  enough 
job  at  best  is  all  that  it  can  turn  out.  I  shall  enclose 
a  few  sheets,  which  must  meet  no  printer's  eye,  but 
which  hereabout  are  legible  enough  and  intelligible 
enough,  having  been  revised  again  and  again  by  our 
most  advanced  pupils. 

"  I  left  Mr.  O'Flaherty  and  Mr.  Ashe  both  well,  and 
living  in  the  new  house  I  built :  the  latter  upstairs." 

"Urima  Port,  Head  of  Smith  Sound, 

"  \(^th  Sept.,  1883. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  say  that  not  only  have  I  got 
both  Gordon  and  Wise  removed  from  that  horrid 
place  Kagei,  but  also  I  have  been  able  to  get  a  port 
at  the  head  of  this  long  creek,  where  we  may  build 
our  boat.  The  whole  of  the  parts  of  the  boat  I  have 
also  brought  up  to  this  place,  and  now,  as  soon  as  we 
get  the  mail  off,  we  mean  (D.V.)  to  set  to  without 
delay  to  build  it.  The  task  will  be  no  easy  one,  as 
the  planks  were  sent  out  from  England  unpacked, 
and  are,  in  consequence,  terribly  warped,  cracked,  and 
twisted  with  the  sun.  But  we  shall  do  our  best,  and 
I  hope  in  a  couple  of  months'  time  to  see  the  vessel 
nearly  ready  for  launching.  I  am  glad  to  have  the 
assistance  of  Wise,  who,  although  by  trade  a  tin- 
smith, yet  can  put  his  hand  to  almost  anything,  and 
is  a  pleasant  fellow. 

"  I  have  been  ill,  but  I  feel  in  excellent  trim  again, 

A.  M.  M.  16 


242  THE    TJDE  EBBS  AND   FLOWS. 

here  on  the  shore  of  my  favourite  Nyanza,  in  spite  of 
its  many  saddening  recollections.  I  cannot  tell  you 
how  I  long  and  pray  every  day  for  the  time  when 
the  present  darkness  shall  be  dispelled,  and  in  every 
hamlet  round  the  lake  the  shadow  of  death  shall 
cease,  and  He  who  is  the  only  light  shall  reign  from 
shore  to  shore. 

"  I   was  in  hopes  that  we  might  get  a  site  in  this 
populous  district  of  Urima  for  a  mission  station,  but 
the  king  (!)  will  not  agree  to  our  staying  here.     He 
is  terribly  afraid  of  white   men,  and  lives   far  away  in 
some  unapproachable  village  (to  foreigners,  I  mean), 
and   will   not  have  me   come  to  see  him.     He  fears 
that   I  would  bewitch  him   with  a  look,  and  besides, 
I  might  steal  his  face  (I    suppose  he  means   take  his 
photo),  and  send  it  to  the  coast  for  all   the  world  to 
laugh  at.     Such  are  royal  ideas  here.     They  are  very 
backward  in   Urima,  and   but  little    elevated  above 
their  own   cattle.     When  they  see   me  reading,  they 
say  that   I  am  divining ;  when  I   write,  I  am  making 
medicine  (?>.,  witchcraft).     Nearly    all  the   men    go 
about  stark  naked.     Women  always  wear  some  sort  of 
clothing,  generally  skins  of  goats,  scraped  and  ren- 
dered soft   with  butter.     Our  camp  here   is  on   the 
edge  of  the  jungle,   and   many  miles   removed   from 
the  villages,  where  they  keep  cattle  ;  hence   we  miss 
sadly  our  daily  milk.     We  have  been  able,  however, 
to  buy   a  little   honey  to  eat   with    our    porridge  of 
Indian  meal.     How  we  relish  it,  seeing  that  we  have 
no   sugar   or   butter!     We   sometimes    get    a    little 


PAPYRUS  AND   MOSQUITOES.  243 

ghee  or  melted  butter  to  buy,  but  we  require  It  for 
our  lamp  at  night.  Fowls  we  get  cheap,  and  some- 
times a  little  fish,  but  only  rarely  a  change  to  a  bit  of 
mutton. 

"  We  have  got  an  excellent  site  for  our  camp,  raised 
some  fifty  feet  above  the  lake  close  by,  and  on  the 
brow  of  a  rocky  ironstone  hill.  There  is  a  really  splen- 
did view  in  front,  right  up  north  and  across  the  bay, 
there  being  high  hills  on  the  other  side.  It  looks  not 
imlike  one  of  our  long  narrow  Scotch  lochs,  only  the 
water  is  not  get-at-able  anywhere,  except  just  at  this 
spot,  for  many,  many  miles,  as  all  the  shore  is  choked 
with  a  wide  evergreen  fringe  of  papyrus.  But  only 
one  night  in  the  neighbourhood  would  cause  you  to 
dread  the  graceful  top  of  the  papyrus  for  ever  after. 
It  is  the  home  of  myriads  upon  countless  myriads  of 
mosquitoes,  which  rise  from  their  lurking-places  the 
moment  the  sun  goes  down.  The  evenings  are  thus 
something  terrible,  and  I  have  to  half  smother  myself 
with  smoke  in  my  tent  to  get  any  peace  at  all.  After 
I  get  into  bed  and  tuck  in  the  mosquito  netting 
tightly  all  round,  I  can  defy  them  ;  but  before  then 
the  misery  is  enough  to  make  me  more  than  irritable. 
After  sunrise  they  disappear  outside  ;  but  it  is,  even 
all  day,  impossible  to  brush  them  entirely  out  of  the 
tent-  I  left  the  awning  of  my  tent  at  Sonda's  to  keep 
the  boat  from  splitting,  and  I  sadly  miss  it  here  to 
protect  my  poor  head  from  this  blazing  sun." 


244  the  tide  ebbs  and  flows. 

"  Urlma, 

"4//!  Nov.,  1883. 

"  I  feel  rather  knocked  up  with  work,  and  ill  able 
to  write  a  decent  letter.  I  am  here  alone  finishing 
the  boat,  and  have  indeed  hard  work,  as  I  must  do 
everything-  myself — cut  and  shape  every  plank,  and 
drive  every  nail.  I  hope  to  have  her  afloat  in  two  or 
three  weeks'  time. 

"At  length  there  is  good  prospect  of  our  having 
a  station  at  this  side  of  the  lake  and,  as  I  wished, 
near  the  head  of  this  creek.  Gordon  and  Wise  are 
establishing  themselves  at  Msalala  May  the  station 
prove  a  blessing  to  the  whole  country-side,  as  well  as 
a  convenience  to  the  men  in  Uganda.  This  has 
been  a  sorely  felt  want  for  long. 

"  I  am  practically  houseless,  for  my  old  straw  hut 
in  Uganda  was  sorely  decayed  when  I  left.  I  shall 
have  to  build  myself  a  cot  when  I  get  back  there.  A 
very  small  place  will  do  for  my  private  wants,  for  I 
have  no  furniture,  but  I  have  to  combine  in  one  medi- 
cal dispensary,  printing  office,  tool  store,  barn,  and 
schoolroom.  Besides  this,  about  a  dozen  boys  always 
sleep  in  my  house,  and  very  frequently  some  of  them 
are  ill,  and  the  place  is  more  a  hospital  than  anything 
else. 

"  Such  encumbrances  are  not  needed  to-day  at  a 
parson's  home  in  England,  but  they  once  were  when 
the  first  missionaries  struggled  against  Saxon  savage- 
dom.  By-and-by  in  Uganda  they  will  forget  all 
about  the  primitive  state  in  which  the  first  mission- 


THE  ''ELEANOR''  LAUNCHED.  245 

aries  had  to  live.  Who  cares  anything  in  England 
about  the  poor  men  who  did  the  battle  with  Druid  ism 
in  the  name  and  strength  of  Christ  ?  Savans  are 
only  now  acknowledging  that  Western  arts  and 
science  came  from  China  and  from  Arab  lands.  I 
would  like  to  see  more  interest  taken  in  the  dawn  of 
Christianity  in  now  Christian  England." 

"On  board  C.M.S.  Eleanor, 

"Head  of  Smith's  Creek, 

"()tkDec.,  1883. 

"  I  am  very  much  fatigued,  having  at  last  launched 
the  C.M.S.  boat  and  rigged  her  ready  for  sea.  I 
expect  Gordon  up  from  Msalala  to-morrow  with 
goods  for  Uganda,  and  I  shall  (D.V.)  start  at  once, 
as  soon  as  I  get  them  stored  on  board.  I  hope  to 
be  able  to  cut  right  across  the  lake.  I  have  been 
fully  five  months  absent  from  my  station,  and  it  is 
high  time  I  were  back  again. 

"  The  two  things  I  came  to  do  are,  by  God's  bless- 
ing, both  accomplished.  I  have  seen  the  new  C.M.S. 
station  started,  in  a  good  place  geographically,  viz., 
at  Msalala,  twelve  miles  south  of  this  port,  which  is 
opposite  Nego,  and  at  the  very  head  of  the  creek. 
Gordon  and  Wise  are  both  well,  and  I  hope  will  con- 
tinue so.  They  are  really  nearer  the  lake  than  we 
are  in  Uganda. 

"  I  have  further  built  the  boat,  which  I  hope  will 
prove  of  long  and  useful  service  to  the  Mission.  I 
have  a  small  and    very  raw  crew — three  men    four 


246  Tim    TIDE  EBBS  AXD   FLOWS. 

boys,  a  woman,  and  a  monkey.  Meat  and  firewood 
and  earihcn  pols  I  have  laid  in  for  tlic  voyage.  These, 
with  some  fifty  loads  of  bales  and  boxes,  fill  the  boat. 
I  have  made  for  myself  a  small  quarter-deck  or  poop, 
on  which  to  act  the  skipper  ;  and  if  God  gives  us 
favourable  wind  and  weather,  we  shall  not  be  long  in 
crossing.  I  hope  the  vessel  will  prove  more  useful 
than  even  the  Daisy.  She  is  much  stronger,  but  might 
have  been  stronger  still,  had  she  been  properly  packed 
for  transit  up  country.  I  am  anchored  out  in  mid- 
water,  glad  to  get  away  from  the  terrible  den  of  mos- 
quitoes, in  which  I  have  been  a  victim  for  the  last 
three  months. 

■'  It  is  late,  and  I  must  lie  down,  for  I  shall  have 
little  sleep  for  a  week,  there  being  no  one  on  board 
who  can  relieve  me  of  the  helm,  or  even  set  the  sails 
properly.     They  will  learn  by  degrees. 

"  I  hope  you  will  ever  continue  to  pray  for  us,  that 
in  our  lives  here  we  may  be  able  to  walk  as  living 
epistles,  seen  and  read  of  all  men." 

"Victoria  Nyanza, 

"On  board  C.M.S.  Eleanor, 

"  2\st  Jan.,  1884. 
"  I  fear  that  for  some  little  time  the  long  creek 
(Smith's)  to  Urima  will  be  rather  unsafe  for  us.  I  learn 
here  (Buzongora),  that  the  grand  Admiral  Gabunga, 
who  has  gone  with  180  canoes  to  attack  Roma  (who 
owns  all  the  west  side  of  the  creek  and  the  bit  of 
road  between  the  head  of  it  and   Msalala),  has  found 


UNDER  SUSPICION.  247 

his  force  insufficient,  and  is  on  his  way  back,  having 
fought  only  some  islands  off  Roma's  coast.  This 
will  only  leave  Roma  more  an  enemy  than  ever,  and 
likely  to  seek  a  revenge  on  our  boat  (as  coming  from 
Uganda),  should  I  sail  up  the  creek  just  now.  These 
horrid  wars  are  ever  now  and  again  cropping  up  and 
hindering  our  work.  Even  Kagei  and  the  whole  of 
Usukuma,  Mtesa  has  his  eye  on,  as  they  have  much 
cattle.  It  was  for  that  reason  that  I  was  anxious  to 
take  Gordon  and  Wise  well  away  from  there,  and 
quarter  them  in  friendly  Mirambo's  land. 

"  Ukerewe  is  already  under  the  thumb  of  Uganda, 
and  that  prevents  our  having  a  station  there  at  present, 
as  Mtesa  is  greedy  to  have  all  the  white  men  at 
his  capital,  that  he  may  get  all  their  presents  himself. 
I  only  hope  that  in  time  he  will  give  up  this  foolish 
jealousy.  It  requires  the  most  careful  diplomatic 
skill  to  so  humour  the  court  of  Uganda  that  we  may 
have  toleration  there  at  all,  not  to  speak  of  the  more 
remote  provinces.  We  would  naturally  like  to  settle 
wliere  we  choose,  and  carry  on  our  work  quietly  and 
without  demonstration  ;  but  that  is  perfectly  im- 
possible. The  case  is  not  like  early  Christian  times, 
when  the  propagators  of  Christianity  were  themselves 
Roman  subjects.  We  are  outsiders,  and  belong  to  a 
nation  ever  accused  in  these  quarters  of  an  aggressive 
policy.  The  powers  that  be  can  never  believe  that 
we  have  come  merely  as  teachers  of  religion.  It  will 
take  perhaps  a  century  to  teach  them  that.  Then 
as  missions  multiply,   European   subjects    also    mul 


248  THE   TIDE  EBBS  AND  ELOIVS. 

tiply.  Complications  arise.  Consuls  are  appointed 
to  protect  their  interests.  Wars  go  on  among  the 
natives,  and  Europeans  against  their  will  get  involved. 
The  end  always  has  been  annexation.  Our  Arab 
enemies  then  triumph  over  the  verification  of  their 
predictions. 

"  Mr.  Roger  Price  wrote  me  recently,  telling  a  sad 
story  of  the  incessant  wars  between  the  Boers  and 
the  natives  in  his  neighbourhood,  hindering  their 
mission  work  greatly. 

"  I  put  in  here  to  try  to  get  food,  but  it  is  very 
scarce,  and  I  must  get  under  weigh  again,  hoping  to 
reach  Kagei  before  what  we  have  is  exhausted. 
The  islands  between  this  and  there  are  all  now  re- 
duced to  jungle,  the  Baganda  having  plundered  them 
all  long  ago.  Their  conquests  bring  little  good,  leaving 
only  desolation  where  once  were  flourishing  planta- 
tions. Only  the  natives  whom  they  rob  are  generally 
a  grade  worse  than  themselves.  You  will  remember 
Stanley's  reception  by  the  people  of  Bumbire,  and 
Smith's  loss  of  an  eye  at  Ukara.  Since  then  the 
Babumbire  have  been  pacified.  Ukara's  turn  will 
come  by-and-by." 

"Victoria  Nyanza, 

"15///  A/>n/,  1884. 

"  A  fortnight  ago  I   left  the  brethren  both  well  and 

fully   occupied,   in   Uganda.      Inquirers   continue    to 

increase,  and  several  more  have  been  baptized.    After 

some  talk   I   got  my  brethren  to  agree   to  having  a 


A  PREPARATION  CLASS.  249 

class  twice  a  week  for  the  fuller  instruction  of  those 
already  baptized,  especially  with  a  view  to  preparing 
them  for  receiving  the  communion.  They  agreed  to 
defer  admitting  all  and  sundry  to  that  sacred  rite, 
until  they  received  further  teaching,  and  we  had 
more  opportunity  of  marking  their  life  and  walk.  I 
took  this  class  myself  on  Sunday  afternoons  when  I 
was  there,  and  meantime,  in  my  absence,  O'Flaherty 
or  Ashe  takes  it.  The  subject  I  commenced  with,  and 
which  I  mean  (D.V,)  to  go  right  on  with,  is  the  Life 
of  Christ. 

"With  people  almost  totally  unfamiliar  with  the 
gospel  narrative,  I  think  the  careful  study  of  such  a 
subject  will  do  them  more  real  good  than  sermons 
from  isolated  texts,  which  my  brethren,  in  accord- 
ance with  received  notions,  go  in  for. 

"  Unhappily,  every  second  month  at  least,  I  have 
to  spend  several  weeks  on  the  lake.  But  I  am  getting 
impatient  of  calms  and  contrary  winds,  and  shall  soon 
make  an  effort  to  erect  our  steam  machinery  and  fit 
it  into  the  boat,  so  as  to  make  the  lake  journey,  to  and 
fro,  a  matter  of  only  a  few  days.  This  will  take  some 
considerable  labour  and  skill  too,  but  it  is,  I  think, 
worth  the  pains,  especially  as  our  numbers  are  small, 
and  time  is  men  here,  if  it  is  money  in  England. 
Perhaps  I  should  say  that  the  gain  of  it  is  economy 
everywhere. 

"  Last  trip  north  I  took  with  me  all  that  could  be 
found  (after  many  years  and  wanderings)  of  our 
printing-press.      Many  essential  parts  were   entirely 


250  TIJE    TIDE  EBBS  AND  FLOWS. 

wanting,  having  been  lost  or  stolen  ;  but  by  dint  of 
iiard  work  at  forge  and  lathe  and  vice/  I  had  it 
almost  in  working  order  by  the  time  I  left.  On  my 
return  I  hope  to  be  able  to  set  to  work  to  print  with 
it.  I  intend  to  print,  in  the  first  instance,  the  Sermon 
on  the  Mount,  in  Luganda.  After  that  I  think  we 
shall  try  the  Gospel  of  Luke,  of  course  in  Luganda 
also.  Then  we  have  the  Church  Service,  hymns,  and 
all  sorely  needed  in  print.  Ashe  is  anxious  to  learn 
to  help  with  the  printing,  and  I  shall  be  glad  when  I 
get  him  sufficiently  skilled  to  take  that  department 
entirely  off  my  hands. 

"  On  my  arrival  at  our  station,  I  found  myself 
houseless.  So  I  set  to  work  sending  all  hands  to  cut 
grass  for  a  month,  pulling  down  several  old  huts  to 
get  thatch  to  repair  the  better  ones.  My  own  house 
seemed  to  be  no  better  after  patching  the  thatch,  so 
I  pulled  down  the  walls  piecemeal,  building  them 
much  shorter  than  before,  letting  the  roof  thus  dip 
to  throw  the  rain  off.  The  clergymen's  house  and 
my  own  I    got  so  far  rain-proof  that   I  was  able  to 

*  "  Mechanical  work  is  probably  as  legitimate  an  aid  to 
missions  as  medical ;  nor  do  I  see  why  one  should  not  be  as 
helpful  to  missionary  work  as  the  other,  except  for  the  difficulty 
of  getting  out  of  the  rut  our  ideas  run  in.  I  believe,  too,  that 
the  present  facilities  for  prosecuting  missionary  work  at  the  ends 
of  the  earth  are  more  due  to  the  advance  the  century  has  made 
in  mechanics  than  in  medicine.  The  former  have  provided  surer 
means  of  locomotion,  and  by  facilitating  production  of  clothing, 
etc.,  have  stimulated  trade  in  many  a  quarter  untouched  by 
foreigners  before." — A.  M.  Mackay. 


HARD  LINES.  251 


build  next  houses  for  the  donkey  and  goats  and 
calves.  These  were  almost  finished  when  I  had  to 
leave  to  catch  moonlight  for  the  voyage. 

"  But  such  a  tempestuous  voyage  this  has  been  ! 
By  day,  calms  and  head  winds,  making  almost  no 
progress,  so  that  I  had  to  sail  at  night.  Every  second 
night  no  sleep,  and  sometimes  two  nights  on  end. 
This  wretched  boat,  too,  has  been  provided  with  so 
poor  an  awning  that  it  rains  mercilessly  through  at 
times.  After  struggling  all  night  with  a  gale  and 
high  sea  and  rain,  to  meet  the  daybreak  dripping  wet, 
cold,  and  dreary,  is  no  extra-pleasant  sensation. 
But  the  Lord  has  all  along  preserved  us  in  many 
a  peril  ;  and  when  one  gets  to  a  safe  anchorage, 
and  a  fire  lighted  on  board  and  a  cup  of  tea,  one  lies 
down  to  sleep  with  the  feeling  that  the  rest  is  well 
earned.  But  I  need  not  trouble  you  with  my  experi- 
ences on  this  lake,  which  has  no  place  in  the  world's 
history  or  thought. 

"  The  boat  is  rolling  terribly,  hence  steady  writing 
is  quite  impossible,  I  must  apologize  for  the  illegibility 
of  this,  which  I  fear  I  could  not  read  myself  unless  I 
had  recently  written  it.  Off  and  on,  too,  is  the  best 
I  can  get,  now  writing  a  few  lines,  now  looking  after 
the  sails  and  course." 


FIERY  TRIALS. 


'*  I  take  this  powerlul  body  of  native  Christians  in  the  heart 
of  Africa — who  prefer  exile  for  the  sake  of  their  faith  to  serving 
a  monarch  indifferent  or  hostile  to  their  faith— as  more  substan- 
tial evidence  of  the  work  of  Mackay  than  any  number  of  im- 
posing structures  clustered  together  and  called  a  Mission  station 
would  be.  These  native  Africans  have  endured  the  most  deadly 
persecutions — the  stake  and  the  fire,  the  cord  and  the  club,  the 
sharp  knife  and  the  rifle  bullet  have  all  been  tried  to  cause  them 
to  reject  the  teachings  they  have  absorbed.  Staunch  in  their 
beliefs,  firm  in  their  convictions,  they  have  held  together  stoutly 
and  resolutely,  and  Mackay  and  Ashe  may  point  to  these  with  a 
righteous  pride  as  the  results  of  their  labours  to  the  goodkindly 
people  at  home  who  trusted  in  them." — H.  M.  Stanley. 


CHAPTER    IX. 
FIERY  TRIALS. 

DURING  the  life  of  Mtesa  the  missionaries  were 
at  least  protected  from  personal  violence,  and 
frequently  were  in  favour  and  permitted  fully  to  carry 
on  their  work  ;  but  the  old  heathenism  still  kept  its 
place  in  the  hearts  of  the  greater  number  of  the 
chiefs,  and,  but  for  Mtesa's  strong  hand  and  superior 
intelligence  and  sympathy  with  enlightenment  and 
progress,  would  frequently  have  broken  out  into  active 
hostility  to  the  white  men. 

In  October  of  1884  Mtesa  died,  and  his  son 
Mwanga,  a  weak,  vain,  and  vicious  man,  a  worse 
and  altogether  weaker  man  than  Mtesa,  came  to  the 
throne. 

Shortly  afterwards  intelligence  of  the  arrival  of 
Bishop  Hannington  by  way  of  Kavirondo  reached 
the  capital,  and  at  once  placed  the  missionaries  in  the 
greatest  personal  danger,  from  the  long-standing  fears 
of  the  Baganda  that  the  appearance  of  white  men 
from  the  east,  and  by  what  they  called  "  the  back- 
door of  Uganda,"  was  the  sure  precursor  of  conquest, 
It  was  this  fear  of  coming  danger,  and  not  hatred  to 
the  Christian  religion,  that   led  the  chiefs  of  Ugandc^ 

«5S 


256  FIERY  TRIALS. 


with  Mwanga  at  their  head,  to  demand  the  death  of 
the  bishop.  When  the  deed  was  done,  a  greater  fear 
took  possession  of  Mwanga.  He  was  in  constant 
terror  lest  the  power  of  England  should  be  brought 
to  bear,  to  revenge  the  murder  of  the  bishop.  This 
fear,  working  in  his  barbarous  heart,  led  to  a  chronic 
state  of  jealousy  and  suspicion  against  the  Mission 
and  its  work,  and  roused  the  beast  in  him,  till  it  led 
to  an  outbreak  of  the  old  heathen  cruelty,  which 
had  abated  and  in  some  of  its  violent  forms  ceased. 
The  new  religion  forbids  cruelty  and  murder,  there- 
fore Mwanga  would  be  cruel  and  murderous ;  and 
then  followed  mutilations,  strangling,  burning,  and 
unmentionable  horrors,  some  of  which  are  described 
in  Mackay's  letters  home,  but  over  which  he  for  the 
most  part  draws  the  veil.  He  was  afraid  lest  too 
much  might  be  made  of  these  so-called  martyrdoms, 
yet  he  did  not  doubt  the  real  piety  of  many  of  the 
sufferers. 

"  MSALALA, /«/z^  6///,  1885. 

"  Your  very  welcome  letter  of  March  3rd  has  just 
come.  How  many  letters  you  have  sent  me  since 
last  August  I  cannot  tell,  as  I  am  waiting  for  them  to 
be  sent  back  here  from  Kagei,  where  they  have  gone. 

"  All  these  long,  weary  months,  how  have  we 
longed  for  new^s  from  home  !  Trouble  and  danger 
and  illness  with  gloomy  prospects  would  have  been 
much  relieved,  had  we  got  a  line  or  two  from  our 
friends  ;  but  that  could  not  be.  Still  we  were  borne 
up  in  it  all  by  a  mightier  Hand  than  our  own.     And 


FIRST  MARTYRS  IN   UGANDA.  257 

now  I  am  here  alive  and  well,  to  ask  you  to  join  us 
in  praising  our  Father  in  heaven,  who  has  not  left  us 
even  in  great  danger,  and  who  is  in  it  all,  leading 
us  closer  to  Himself,  and  guiding  His  own  work 
through  blood  and  fire. 

"  Our  first  martyrs  have  won  the  martyr's  crown. 
On  January  30th  three  Christian  lads  were  burnt 
alive,  after  being  terribly  mutilated,  for  their  recep- 
tion of  and  adherence  to  the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ. 
They  were  snatched  from  our  very  presence,  ac- 
cused of  no  crime  but  that  they  were  learning 
from  us,  and  first  tortured,  then  roasted  alive. 

"  Both  Ashe  and  I  suffered  a  deal  of  personal  vio- 
lence, but  that  was  soon  over,  and  was  nothing  to  the 
anxiety  of  mind  which  we  suffered  on  account  of 
the  cruel  death  of  the  dear  lads,  and  the  threats  of 
determined  persecution  against  the  whole  of  the 
native  Christians  ;  the  threats  of  robbery  and  expul- 
sion of  ourselves ;  and  later  on  a  rebellion  of  the 
chiefs,  whose  aim  was  to  make  a  complete  end  of  us. 
But  by  a  sharp  stroke  the  king  arrested  the  ring- 
leaders and  deposed  the  others.  Since  then  we  have 
had  less  to  fear  ;  and  though  the  king  is  young  and 
unstable,  he  has  again  and  again  asserted  his  deter- 
mination to  stand  by  us,  probably  because  in  doing 
so  he  finds  a  way  of  escape  from  the  demands  made 
upon  him  by  the  old  chiefs  and  sorcerers,  which  he 
finds  irksome, 

"  There  are  some  of  the  chiefs  by  no  means  friendly 
to  us,  but  doubtless  their  day  of  power  will  be  short 

A.  M.  M.  17 


/ 


2s8  FIERY  TRIALS. 


Of  course,  as  in  many  similar  cases,  their  suspicion 
of  us  arises  from  pure  ignorance.  We  only  must 
endeavour  to  enlighten  them ;  but  whether  the  powers 
are  friendly  or  not,  we  must  put  no  confidence  in  their 
favour  or  dislike.  The  work  of  God  will  stand  and 
grow  quite  independently  of  their  patronage  or  oppo- 
sition. 

"  I  believe  that  a  work  has  been  begun  in  Uganda 
which  has  its  origin  in  the  power  of  God,  and  which 
never  can  be  uprooted  by  all  the  forces  of  evil. 

"  Some  young  Christians  are  very  bold,  sometimes 
I  think  more  courageous  than  prudent.  While  many 
of  them  have  gone  into  hiding  through  natural  alarm 
for  their  lives,  others  we  have  to  urge  to  keep  out  of 
the  way,  knowing  that  they  are  in  great  danger. 
But  whether  their  retirement  has  been  voluntary  or 
compulsory,  I  myself  do  not  know  of  a  single  case  in 
which  any  one  preferred  to  draw  back  and  renounce 
Christianity. 

"  Doubtless  you  will  recall  passages  in  Christian 
history  in  Europe,  when  persecution  seemed  to  be 
infectious,  and  many  were  led  to  stand  together  from 
feelings  of  a  new  enthusiasm.  History  but  repeats 
itself.  The  powers  arrayed  against  Christianity 
in  Nero's  reign  are  just  the  same  as  those  fighting 
against  it  to-day  in  Central  Africa.  It  is  with  the 
same  weapons,  too,  that  the  battle  has  to  be  fought 
and  won. 

"  Your  remarks  on  the  Soudan  campaign  I  cannot 
agree  with.     The    Mahdi,  a  Mohammedan  Messiah, 


THE  SOUDAN  AND    THE  MAHDl.  259 

cannot,  by  the  nature  of  his  claims,  rest  content  with 
only  the  Soudan,  or  even  a  part  of  it.  His  demands 
are  like  those  of  Christianity,  '  No  compromise.'  It 
is  not  any  more  to-day  a  struggle  for  liberty  and  inde- 
pendence than  were  the  wars  of  Mohammed  and  his 
successors  the  Caliphs.  They  may  use  these  words, 
but  we  know  they  are  false.  The  question  is  simply 
a  mutiny  among  the  Mohammedans.  Who  is  the 
true  successor  of  the  Prophet,  the  new  Mahdi  or  the 
Sultan  of  Turkey  }  We  care  nothing  for  the  religious 
pretensions  of  either  the  one  or  the  other  ;  but  when 
the  problem  has  to  be  solved  by  arms,  and  has  far- 
reaching  influences  through  the  whole  Mohammedan 
world,  we  have  a  right  to  reduce  the  usurping  power, 
which  is  a  wild  fanaticism.  What  liberty  will  the 
poor  Soudanese  have  under  the  Mahdi  and  his  suc- 
cessors "i  Surely  such  governors  as  Gordon,  acting 
in  the  name  of  the  Khedive,  will  exercise  a  more 
humane  sway  on  these  great  provinces  than  a  wild 
fanatic. 

"  We  know  what  Islam  has  been  in  the  past,  and 
to-day  it  is  not  different.  It  has  been  the  ruin  of 
many  fair  lands,  and  besides  has  this  strange  venom  in 
it,  that  people  may,  with  comparative  ease,  be  led  to 
embrace  Christianity  when  simply  heathen,  but  when 
Islam  has  puts  its  vile  name  on  them,  though  ever  so 
superficially,  there  is  no  doing  anything  with  them 
after  that.  The  universal  failure  of  missions  to 
Moslems  throughout  the  world  proves  this  incon- 
trovertibly.     Since  I  came  to  the  East,  I  have  been 


26o  FIERY  TRIALS. 

familiar  with  the  genius  of  the  Moslem  creed  as  1 
never  was  in  England. 

*'  Its  sole  reliance  for  conversion  has  ever  been  the 
sword,  and  that  power  has  done  everything  for  it  in 
the  past.  Christianity  cannot  use  these  means  for 
its  promulgation,  and  wherever  it  does  it  ceases  to 
be  Christianity.  But  the  sword  has  ever  been  used 
of  God  in  subduing  that  terrible  evil,  and  thus  pre- 
paring the  way  for  teachers  of  Christianity  to  use 
peaceful  powers  of  persuasion. 

"  Gordon  was  right  in  disclaiming  an  army  to  re- 
lieve himself  It  is  the  loyal,  peaceful  people  of  the 
Soudan  that  must  be  relieved  from  their  enemies,  the 
Mahdists.  But  to  take  them  out  of  the  country  is 
not  to  relieve  them,  any  more  than  loyal  Irish  should 
be  taken  away  from  their  homes  because  the  Fenians 
demand  to  be  allowed  to  rule.  The  surest  way,  and 
the  most  merciful  way  to  protect  the  good  is  to 
crush  by  a  sharp  stroke  the  indomitable  evil." 

"Uganda,  Sept.  28//^,  1885. 
"Your  two  most  truly  welcome  letters  of  April  i6th 
and  May  20th  reached  me  together  a  fortnight  ago. 
I  was  then  far  from  here,  having  accompanied  the 
king  on  a  tour  through  the  west  of  his  dominions. 
Ashe  and  O'Flaherty  remained  here  at  the  station. 
Two  of  the  Romanists  were  also  ordered  to  remain  at 
the  capital,  while  Pere  Lourdel  was  appointed  to  go 
in  the  expedition.  We  were  less  than  a  month  away, 
and  for  half  the  time  we  halted  at   a   place  called 


THE   GERMANS  IN  AFRICA.  261 

Nkanaga,  not  far  from  the  Katonga  River,  which 
forms  the  western  boundary  of  Uganda  proper.  That 
is  by  no  means  the  limit  of  the  kingdom,  as  beyond 
it  is  Budu,  a  rich  province,  and  beyond  that  again 
lies  the  tributary  principalities  of  Buzongora  and 
Tangiro.  But  I  reflect  that  these  details  are  of  no 
value  to  you,  or  interest  either.  The  day  is  sure  to 
come,  however,  if  the  present  age  lasts  much  longer, 
when  all  these  regions  of  Central  Africa  will  become 
incorporated  within  the  limits  of  the  known  world, 
and  each  and  all  will  be  colonies  of  das  Deutsche 
Reich,  or  some  other  European  power.  This  year 
has  already  seen  strange  doings  in  Africa.  There  is 
the  great  Congo  State — an  empire  in  itself — with 
Stanley  as  viceroy.  How  thankful  the  Churches 
ought  to  be  (especially  the  Baptists)  for  the  promise 
of  protection  and  encouragement  in  pushing  forward 
their  stations  through  such  a  grand  reach  of  territory ! 
Now  is  the  time  for  the  Churches  to  rise  and  take 
possesion  of  Central  Africa  in  Christ's  name.  East 
Africa  !  what  shall  I  say  of  it  ?  Already  the  ice 
is  broken,  and  Bismarck  is  close  by.  Our  position  is 
thus  rendered  much  more  dangerous.  Some  time  ago 
we  heard  of  the  Germans  in  Useguha  (Usagara),  but 
they  were  iew,  and  attracted  so  little  attention,  that 
the  news  seems  never  to  have  reached  this  court. 
This  mail,  however,  has  brought  a  telegram  of  the 
German  fleet  being  on  the  way  to  Zanzibar  ;  while  the 
Arabs  have  heard,  and  of  course  declared  publicly, 
that  the  Bazungu  (as  all  Europeans  are  called)  have 


262  FIERY   TRIALS. 

eaten  a  territory  near  the  coast,  and  demanded  a  port 
(Hagamoyo?),  and  on  that  being  refused  them,  the)' 
have  declared  war  against  Said  Burgash.  All  this 
has  raised  the  suspicions  of  the  authorities  here  to  the 
highest  pitch.  Ever  and  ever  the  Arabs  have  alleged 
that  we  were  only  the  pioneers  of  conquest.  Mtesa 
put  them  off,  saying,  '  Well,  the  white  men  will  not 
begin  at  the  interior  to  eat  the  land  ;  when  I  see  them 
beginning  at  the  coast,  then  I  shall  believe.'  Now 
the  beginning  has  been  made  at  the  coast,  and  a  good 
way  inland  too  ;  while,  if  all  reports  are  true,  the  aim 
of  Berlin  is  to  the  great  lakes.  Most  heartily  would 
I  wish  to  see  it  an  accomplished  fact  ;  but  the  trans- 
ition stage  involves  the  poor  missionaries  inland  in 
very  great  danger.  Badly,  indeed,  does  the  black 
man  know  how  to  govern  ;  but  he  is  at  the  same  time 
most  jealous  of  his  petty  kingdom,  and  he  has, 
naturally,  a  good  right  to  be  so.  But  God  on  high 
reigns,  and  gives  of  the  kingdoms  on  earth  to  whom 
He  will.  He,  too,  is  our  Father,  and  cares  likewise 
for  His  few  children  scattered  here  and  there  among 
the  heathen. 

''  To  complicate  matters,  the  bishop  has  elected 
to  try  the  Masai  route,  and  strike  the  lake  at  the 
north-east  corner,  near  Busoga.  Now  in  Uganda 
there  has  ever  been  the  keenest  alarm  lest  their 
country  be  approached  from  that  side,  as  they  know 
the  lake  is  a  fair  barrier  to  the  south,  but  from 
Busoga  the  solid  land  stretches  off  without  a  break 
all    the   wav  eastward  to  the  coast.     All  the  terrible 


ANXIETY  ABOUT  HANNINGTON.  263 

troubles  we  had  in  February  of  this  year,  and  which 
all  but  cost  the  Mission  its  existence,  seemed  to  be 
due  to  the  suspicion  aroused  by  the  report  of  Thom- 
son, of  the  R.G.S.,  being  in  Busoga,  although  he  left 
immediately. 

"  A  few  days  ago,  Ashe  and  I  went  to  court  with 
a  present  to  his  majesty,  and  begged  permission  to 
send  our  boat  to  look  for  the  bishop  on  the  east 
side  of  the  lake,  explaining  that  his  reason  for  coming 
that  way  was  to  avoid  the  Germans  in  Useguha.  Of 
course,  I  told  all  we  knew  about  Bismarck  versus 
Burgash,  and  had  to  submit  to  a  severe  cross-ques- 
tioning on  the  matter.  I  could  see  that  the  informa- 
tion was  rather  startling.  Next  day  there  was  a 
council  of  king  and  chiefs,  at  which  some  proposed 
to  fight  the  bishop  if  he  came,  others  to  prevent  his 
coming  at  all,  while  another  chief  recommended  that 
we  should  all  be  killed,  as  we  were  certainly  only  the 
forerunners  of  the  white  men  at  the  coast,  who  were 
at  war  with  Said  Burgash,  and  were  on  their  way  to 
take  this  country  from  them.  The  king's  prospect 
of  getting  presents  induced  him  to  overrule  these 
deliberations,  and  to  suggest  that  a  messenger  be 
sent  in  our  boat  to  spy  what  like  the  Bishop  &  Co. 
are,  and  if  the  report  be  fair,  to  send  for  them. 

"To-day  O'Flaherty  has  been  at  court,  and  has 
been  able  to  make  further  explanations,  so  that  he 
has  got  permission  to  go  to  Msalala  in  the  boat, 
where  we  hope  Stokes  will  be  waiting  to  go  to  Kavi- 
rondo,  to  find  the  bishop.     I  should  have  gone  my- 


264  FIERY  TRIALS. 


self,  but  Stokes  will  do  just  as  well,  probably  much 
better  ;  while  Ashe  and  I  are  anxious  to  proceed  as 
rapidly  as  possible  with  the  publication  of  St.  Matthew 
in  Luganda. 

"Our  young  king  has  some  good  points,  but  I  fear 
few.  He  is  still  a  youth — fickle,  fitful,  and  not  a  little 
revengeful.  He  is  much  afraid  of  his  older  chiefs 
when  it  is  a  question  of  doing  anything  in  what  we 
would  call  a  right  direction.  No  such  scruples  seem 
to  come  in  his  way  when  he  wants  to  kill  a  score  or 
two  of  his  poor  subjects.  Princes  are  peculiarly  hard 
to  persuade.  I  only  hope  that  by  striving  to  obtain 
some  personal  influence  over  him,  I  may  be  able  to 
effect  any  good  with  him.  There  is  no  use  trying 
to  teach  him.  or  other  big  folk,  in  any  authoritative 
way.  There  was  a  John  the  Baptist  that  held  high 
the  banner  of  truth  before  Herod,  but  we  know  the 
result.  I  do  not  believe  that  the  gospel  dispensation 
means  us  to  work  exactly  in  that  way,  i.e.^  altogether. 
John  Knox  tried  it  with  Queen  Mary.  But  in  what- 
ever way  we  work,  there  is  little  doubt,  as  General 
Gordon  said,  but  that  potentates  have  ever  been  more 
a  hindrance  than  a  help  to  Christianity.  It  is  only 
when  the  power  of  our  faith  is  felt  among  the 
people  that  the  rulers  generally  become  compelled 
to  sanction — shall  I  say  patronize  it 

"Our  Church  grows.  Our  new  chapel  is  already 
much  too  small — every  week  more  crowded,  and  the 
school,  too,  is  flourishing.  We  have  at  present  some 
thirty   candidates    eager    for   baptism,   and    on   the 


THE  BISHOP  IN  DANGER.  265 


whole  well  prepared.  I  have  my  couple  of  hours  in 
the  school  every  forenoon,  and  spend  the  most  of 
every  afternoon  in  translation.  I  am  not  a  little 
worried,  besides,  with  having  to  do  various  kinds  of 
work  for  the  king.     Rest  by-and-by. 

"  I  am  ordering  Professor  Drummond's  book   on 
your  recommendation." 

To  HIS  Father: — 

"  Uganda,  Oct.  27th,  1885. 
"  We  are  in  much  trouble  once  more.  It  is  less 
than  a  month  since  I  wrote  to  you.  Then  we  had 
just  escaped  being  put  to  death  because  of  the 
German  doings  at  the  coast,  coupled  with  the 
expected  arrival  of  the  bishop  through  the  Masai 
country.  We  got  the  boat  sent  to  take  the  bishop 
and  party  to  Msalala  from  Kavirondo,  where  he 
expected  to  reach  the  lake.  But  he  seems  to  have 
changed  his  mind  and  come  right  on  through  Busoga. 
He  seems  to  have  reached  near  the  other  side  of 
Ripon  Falls,  when  he  was  met  by  an  army  of 
Baganda,  which  had  gone  that  way  on  a  slave  raid. 
He  was  made  prisoner  by  them,  and  word  came 
here.  Our  king  and  chief  councillors  sent  next  day 
(25th)  a  peremptory  order  to  kill  both  the  bishop 
and  his  whole  party,  and  leave  not  one  !  We  hear 
that  another  European  was  with  the  bishop,  and 
twenty  porters  ;  while  three  more  white  men  were 
somewhere  behind  with  the  caravan.  God  alone 
knows  whether  they   will  escape    from    falling  into 


266  FIERY   TRIALS. 


the  treacherous  hands  of  the  Baganda.  I  fear  that 
by  the  time  of  writing  tliis,  the  executioners  sent 
from  this  have  arrived  where  the  poor  bishop  and  his 
companion  are  lying  in  the  stoclcs,  and  have  done 
their  bloody  work.  It  is  too  dreadful  to  think  of,  and 
we  only  hope  that  God  has  heard  our  prayers,  and  by 
miracle  delivered  our  brethren.  We  have  tried  every 
day  to  see  the  king,  but  in  vain.  He  refused  to  see 
us,  although  we  implored  an  interview,  and  that  he 
would  save  our  brethren.  This  moment  I  hear  that 
they  have  to-day  sent  messengers  with  a  letter  we 
wrote,  asking  the  bishop  to  go  back.  But  I  fear  all 
too  late. 

"We  ourselves  are  in  a  position  of  great  danger, 
we  believe.  We  are  suspected  of  political  aims,  and 
are  called  spies  and  pioneers  of  invasion.  Our  pupils 
are  believed  to  be  won  over  to  English  rule,  and  to 
be  false  to  their  country.  All  are  thus  suddenly  dis- 
persed. We  dare  not  even  ask  permission  to  leave. 
We  were  refused  last  February,  when  they  burnt  our 
boys,  lest  we  should  return  to  avenge  our  wrongs. 
We  have  written  a  letter  to  Sir  John  Kirk  to  request 
this  king  to  let  us  leave  in  peace.  When  ?  Mean- 
time our  cause  will  be,  as  it  ever  has  been,  in  God's 
care,  and  His  will  be  done.  But  it  is  dreadful  sus- 
pense to  have,  as  it  were,  a  sword  continually  over 
one's  head.  The  chief  minister  or  judge  is,  we  know, 
our  worst  foe. 

"This  may  be  intercepted.  We  are  sending  it  by 
stealth.     But    whatever    may    happen,  reliable  news 


THE  BISHOP  MURDERED.  267 

can  afterwards  be  had  from  our  Christian  natives,  who 
sympathize  with  us  deeply,  being  in  great  jeopardy 
themselves.  We  shall  lose  no  chance  of  writing 
again.     May  we  have  better  news  to  tell." 

"  Uganda,  Dec.  ()ik,  1885. 

**  We  are  still  in  the  depth  of  trouble,  but  hitherto 
our  Lord  has  upheld  us  and  preserved  us  from  wicked 
and  unreasonable  men.  He  who  sees  the  end  from 
the  beginning  is  our  only  hope  and  refuge,  for  sure 
enough  there  is  no  earthly  power  of  any  avail  to 
protect  us  where  we  are.  On  the  27th  October  I  was 
able  to  send  you  a  few  lines  concealed  in  the  French- 
men's packet.  If  that  reaches  you,  you  will  be  pre- 
pared for  further  news  of  the  kind. 

"  There  is  no  doubt  at  all  now  but  that  King 
Mwanga  has  murdered  Bishop  Hannington  and  his 
whole  party  of  porters.  In  the  providence  of  God  no 
other  European  was  travelling  with  the  bishop,  other- 
wise certainly  they  had  by  now  been  all  murdered 
likewise. 

"  We  had  grave  fears  for  Stokes,  who  went  to  the 
east  side  of  the  lake  in  the  Mirembe  to  look  for  the 
bishop.  We  dreaded  his  falling  into  the  hands  of 
the  Baganda,  who  have  gone  raiding  in  that  direction. 
But  Stokes,  hearing  nothing  of  the  bishop,  waited 
only  two  days  off  Kavirondo,  and  returned  to  Msalala, 
thence  to  Uyui. 

"  Recently  we  discovered  a  plot  on  the  part  of  the 
king  and  head  chiefs,  to  kill  us  all.     We  sent  them  a 


268  FIERY  TRIALS. 


rich  present  of  nearly  a  score  of  loads  of  our  most 
valuable  effects,  saying  nothing  of  what  we  had 
heard.  They  at  once  asked  us  who  had  told  us  that 
they  were  going  to  kill  us.  We  refused  to  tell,  on 
which  we  were  abused  by  the  king  and  threatened, 
a  peremptory  order  being  given  that  no  person  was 
to  come  near  our  station  under  pain  of  death.  He 
would  put  us  in  the  stocks,  he  said,  and  he  challenged 
England  and  all  Europe  to  rescue  us !  Had  L'konge 
not  killed  white  men,  and  had  the  Queen  been  able 
to  touch  him  ?  had  not  Mirambo  done  likewise,  and 
had  the  Queen  been  able  to  reach  him  ? 

"  We  replied  never  a  word  to  this  bullying,  nor 
have  we  ventured  to  even  once  allude  to  the  murder 
of  our  bishop. 

"  The  king's  own  favourite  page,  the  head  of  his 
personal  servants,  ventured  to  say  to  him  one  day  that 
it  was  wrong  to  kill  the  bishop,  as  white  men  came 
only  as  benefactors  of  the  country.  The  lad  was  at 
once  ordered  off  for  execution,  and  was  burnt  alive 
that  very  day. 

"  Mwanga  thought  that  in  killing  this  man  he  could 
suppress  the  news  of  his  murdering  the  bishop, 
while  he  believed  that  this  same  lad  had  told  us  of 
his  plan  to  kill  us.  He  fears  greatly  that  we  mean 
vengeance  on  him  for  his  cruel  work,  and  to  remove 
this  suspicion  we  gave  him  the  valuable  present. 

"But  there  will  be  a  rare  blow-up  when  they  find 
out  here  that  news  of  their  having  killed  the  bishop 
has  reached  the  coast.     It  will  be  a  most  unsafe  posi- 


ESCAPE  IMPOSSIBLE.  269 

tion  for  any  Europeans  who  may  then  be  here.  But 
we  need  not  be  anxious  for  the  distant  morrow.  God 
reigns,  and  even  the  heart  of  kings  is  in  His  keeping. 
But  we  believe  it  would  be  wisest  for  us  to  withdraw 
from  the  country,  if  we  could,  until  such  time  as  the 
Mission  could  be  replanted  on  a  firmer  footing.  But 
the  king,  while  he  would  be  glad  to  get  rid  of  us,  yet 
fears  that,  if  we  leave,  we  mean  to  bring  evil  upon 
him,  as  he  knows  that  he  has  committed  a  dreadful 
crime,  and  fears  retribution. 

"  It  is  almost  impossible  for  us  to  escape  by  stealth, 
even  when  our  boat  is  here,  as  the  port  is  twelve 
miles  off,  and  the  bay  long,  before  one  could  get  out 
into  open  sea,  where  alone  we  need  not  fear  pur- 
suit by  canoes.  Meantime  we  hope  O'Flaherty  will 
get  permission  to  leave  quietly,  and  our  number  being 
thus  reduced,  suspicion  may  be  reduced  also.  They 
will  persist  in  believing  that  we  are  political  agents, 
and  that  our  teaching  is  only  with  a  view  to  gain  over 
the  people  to  side  with  us,  and  then  to  overthrow  the 
constitution  ! 

"  After  our  troubles  last  spring,  Ashe  and  I  wrote 
to  Sir  John  Kirk,  requesting  him  to  inform  Mwanga 
that  we  were  merely  teachers,  and  had  no  connection 
with  the  British  Government.  This  mail  brought 
Sir  John's  reply,  in  which  he  very  nicely  begs  the 
king  to  give  us  liberty  to  teach  and  travel,  etc.,  as  we 
are  not  political  agents.  But  Mwanga  seems  ill-dis- 
posed to  believe  the  Consul's  letter,  and  as  yet  has 
given  no  answer.     He  seems  determined  to  stiffen  his 


270  FTERY    TRIALS. 


neck,  like  Theodore  of  Abyssinia,  believing  fully  in 
his  own  supremacy  above  all  the  nations  of  the  world  ! 
Don't  laugh.  It  is  not  amusing  here  to  be  in  the 
clutches  of  such  a  tyrant.  But  we  have  suffered  so 
much  already  from  distracting  fears,  that  we  have,  I 
believe,  become  more  callous,  while  perhaps,  too,  we 
have  learned  to  lean  more  implicitly  on  the  protec- 
tion of  our  Father  in  heaven.  But  human  nature  is 
frail. 

"  Sir  John  Kirk  has  sent  to  ask  Mwanga  to  relieve 
Emin  and  the  other  Egyptian  officers  in  Equatorial 
Soudan. 

"  I  fear  he  cannot  do  that  even  if  he  would,  as  Ka- 
barega  has  rebelled,  and  is  at  hostilities  with  Uganda, 
besides  having  always  been  an  enemy  to  white  men 
ever  since  Baker  was  there.  It  may  be  that  Mwanga 
may  change  his  mind,  but  in  his  present  mood  he 
is  far  too  frightened  to  bring  Europeans  into  the 
country.  He  is  always  suspecting  designs  against 
his  throne." 

*  Uganda,  Dec.  22,rd,  1885. 

"  Since  the  end  of  October,  even  of  September,  we 
have  had  little  or  no  peace  here.  I  sent  word  to  the 
coast  nearly  two  months  ago  that  our  long-expected 
bishop  arrived  safely  in  Busoga,  and  immediately  the 
king  here  sent  to  murder  him  and  all  his  men.  There 
is  no  doubt  now  but  that  this  has  been  done.  We 
have  the  evidence  of  eye-witnesses,  but  we  dare  not 
betray  to  the  authorities  our  knowledge  of  their  crime. 
Soon  afterwards  we  discovered  a  plot  to  murder  our- 


THE   KING  FEARS  RETRIBUTION.  271 

selves.  The  king  was  terribly  annoyed  that  we  found 
him  out  in  this,  and  of  course  denied  it,  as  he  does 
the  murder  of  the  bishop  and  his  party  (fifty  men,  or 
more  as  some  say). 

"  We  had  been  enjoying  much  blessing  in  our 
work,  and  many  more  have  been  baptized.  Now,  no 
one  is  allowed  to  come  near  us  under  pain  of  death. 
Yet  they  do  come,  chiefly  at  night.  Mwanga  would 
be  glad  to  get  rid  of  us,  yet  he  will  not  let  us  go, 
all  of  us  at  any  rate,  as  he  means  to  keep  us  as 
hostages,  because  he  dreads  punishment.  At  the 
same  time,  he  threatens  to  put  us  in  the  stocks,  and 
challenges  England  and  the  whole  of  Europe  to  try 
to  release  us, 

"  One  great  cause  for  thankfulness  is  that  Mr. 
O'Flaherty  has  got  permission  to  leave. 

"  But  you  need  not  be  anxious  for  us.  We  are,  if 
possible,  more  especially  in  God's  hands  in  time  of 
trouble  than  in  peace  and  prosperity.  Even  kings' 
hearts  are  turned  by  God.  We  know  that  we  shall 
ever  have  your  prayers  and  hopes  and  best  wishes 
and  remembrances. 

"  We  have  been  able  to  get  hold  of  the  bishop's 
private  diary  of  his  march,  and  we  send  it  home.  It 
is  all  that  we  have  yet  to  send  to  Mrs.  Hannington 
of  her  husband's  belongings.  But  we  may,  in  God's 
providence,  get  more  yet.  The  bishop's  goods  have 
all  been  brought  to  the  capital,  but  not  yet  taken 
within  the  palace  grounds  Mwanga  seems  afraid, 
but  we  have  seen  no  trace  of  repentance  in  him  as 


272  FIERY  TRIALS. 


yet,  only  increased  suspicion  and  fear  of  us.  We  had 
to  give  him  a  valuable  present  of  all  our  most  valuable 
effects,  to  remove  his  dread  that  we  meant  revenge 
for  the  death  of  the  bishop.  His  head  page,  a  Chris- 
tian man,  and  most  faithful  servant,  he  ordered  to  be 
burned  alive,  for  saying  to  him  that  it  was  wrong  to 
kill  the  bishop,  as  his  father  Mtesa  would  not  have 
done  anything  of  the  kind. 

"  How  all  this  matter  will  end,  who  can  tell } 
Mwanga  allows  that  he  has  been  guided  by  the  fact, 
that  no  notice  was  taken  by  the  British  Government 
of  the  death  of  Smith  and  O'Neill  in  Ukerewe,  or 
of  the  deaths  of  Captains  Carter  and  Cadenhead 
by  Mirambo's  people.  In  these  instances  there  was 
some  sort  of  excuse  or  reason.  But  this  case  is  one 
of  cold-blooded,  determined  atrocity,  with  no  shadow 
of  an  excuse." 

"Uganda,  Feb.  yth,  1886. 

"  You  speak  of  change.  We  have  ever  some  change 
here,  for  we  seem  to  be  continually  getting  involved, 
or  supposed  to  be  involved,  in  some  new  difficulty. 
The  last  is  that  two  days  ago  I  got  a  letter  put  into 
my  hands  privately.  It  was  from  the  lost  Russian 
traveller,  Dr.  Junker.  He  writes  from  Kabarega's 
capital,  in  Bunyoro,  craving  for  news,  as  he  has  been 
three  years  without  intelligence  of  the  outside,  or 
even  African,  world.  Neither  he  nor  Emin  Bey  nor 
any  one  on  the  Equator,  knows  a  word  of  the  fall  of 
Khartoum,  or  death  of  Gordon,  or  of  the  Mahdi,  or 
that  an  English  army  was  in  the  Soudan  ;  the  rebels 


HELPS  DR.    JUNKER.  ^73 

have  so  entirely  closed  their  road  by  the  Nile. 
Junker  craves  permission  to  come  here,  and  I  have 
got  the  king  to  send  for  him.  But  he  has  come  at  a 
very  awkward  time,  for  war  has  been  declared  against 
Bunyoro  by  this  country,  and  the  whole  land  is  up  in 
arms  and  off  to  the  front.  A  message  has  been  sent 
to  the  commander-in-chief  to  let  the  traveller  pass 
this  way  in  safety.  The  reason  of  the  war  is  chiefly, 
that  a  rumour  came  that  Emin  Bey  and  Egyptian 
soldiers  had  joined  Kabarega.  Now,  it  seems  to  be 
only  Junker  and  his  two  or  three  servants.  But  I 
fear  that  Kabarega  will  detain  him  by  force,  and  in- 
volve the  unhappy  man  in  more  danger.  We  have 
done  our  best  on  his  behalf,  and  having  secured  this 
king's  order  to  have  him  brought;  we  can  do  no  more, 
hoping  it  is  God's  will  that  a  second  white  man's 
blood  be  not  shed,  and  this  country,  in  that  way,  get 
more  deeply  involved.  I  believe  the  authorities  here 
are  anxious  to  save  him,  to  make  up  in  a  measure 
for  their  murder  of  Bishop  Hannington  and  all  his 
people.  What  is  to  be  the  outcome  of  that  dreadful 
business,  who  can  tell  ?  If  my  letters  of  27th  Oct. 
reached  the  coast,  and  the  news  was  telegraphed, 
you  will  all,  by  this  time,  be  in  possession  of  that  sad 
story,  and  be  in  a  state  of  no  little  anxiety  for  our 
safety  here.  What  deep  anxiety  we  ourselves  have 
been  in,  I  cannot  describe.  First  our  bishop  was  con- 
demned to  death,  and  cruelly  murdered  ;  then  we 
were  under  a  similar  sentence  ;  but  the  good  hand  of 
the  Lord  has  been  upon  us,  and  we  are  still  spared. 
A.  M.  M.  18 


274  FIERY   TRIALS. 


Then  our  converts  were  practically  doomed,  one  good 
lad  being  burned  to  death,  and  others  arrested  and 
sentenced  likewise,  while  no  one  was  permitted  to 
come  near  us,  under  pain  of  execution. 

"By-and-by  we  got  Mr.  O'Flaherty  away  in  peace, 
and  Ashe  and  I  remain,  slowly  getting  once  more 
greater  liberty,  as  being  perhaps  in  less  disfavour. 
Most  of  our  people  are,  however,  off  to  the  war,  yet 
we  have  our  hands  full  of  work,  and  are  always  tired 
enough  ere  the  day  is  done.  You  will  in  all  likelihood 
have  read  the  story  of  our  trials,  which  I  sent  to  the 
C.M.S.  at  Christmas.  I  need  not,  therefore,  repeat 
the  sorrowful  tale  here.  We  have  been  brought 
through  deep  troubles,  yet  the  Lord  has  not  forsaken 
us.  We  may  say,  Ebenezer.  Strange  how  really  one 
is  cast  in  such  cases  on  the  protecting  power  of  God, 
which  we  are  all,  by  some  strange  infatuation,  so  slow 
to  believe  in.  Anything  human — plans,  devices,  fears 
— man  naturally  indulges  in  ;  but  to  trust  in  God 
implicitly  is,  foolishly  enough,  only  a  kind  of  '  last 
resource.'  But  it  is  only  when  we  come  to  that,  that 
one  sees  the  folly  of  anything  else.  There  is  a  cross 
in  every  lot,  and  I  know  that  at  home,  too,  you  have 
your  trials  and  difficulties.  Those  also  require  much 
patience,  and  perhaps  more  watchfulness,  for  in  pros- 
perity one  is,  perhaps,  less  likely  to  look  upon  that 
as  the  will  of  God.  Nevertheless,  it  is  so,  for  He 
means  us  to  be  happy,  and  He  created  us,  not  only 
for  His  own  enjoyment,  but  for  ours  alsa" 


THE   KING'S  PALACE  BURNT.  275 

"  Uganda,  yth  April,  1886. 

"  We  are,  thank  God !  still  here,  alive,  and  fairly 
well,  and  in  peace.  But  still  we  are  far  from  at  rest. 
The  king  continues  to  regard  us  as  before,  unfavour- 
ably, i.e.,  apparently  so,  judging  by  his  words  and 
actions.  Our  work  continues,  but  more  clandestine 
than  otherwise.  Still  we  are  able  to  carry  on  print- 
ing, which  distributes  truth  and  knowledge  without 
the  necessity  of  collecting  numbers,  and  so  raising 
suspicion.     Thus  the  stone  rolls  noiselessly. 

'*  A  few  weeks  ago  Mwanga's  palace  was  burnt  to 
the  ground.  Some  of  his  headmen  were  so  severely 
burnt  that  they  have  died  since  ;  others  are  recover- 
ing. Some  have  laid  suspicion  on  us ;  but  we  have 
heard  no  more  of  that,  as  we  gave  his  majesty  a  good 
present  just  after,  to  make  up  somewhat  for  his  losses. 
Next  day,  lightning  struck  a  house  close  by  where  he 
had  put  up.  Poor  wretch,  he  was  terrified  out  of  his 
wits,  and  made  off  to  his  new  temporary  capital,  on  the 
creek,  some  eight  miles  off.  There  he  is  now.  Ashe 
and  I  have  been  there  several  times  to  see  him.  His 
own  fire  originated  in  his  gunpowder  store.  One 
hundred  kegs  blew  up,  and  played  fearful  havoc. 
Just  before  then,  rumours  had  come  of  white  men 
being  in  the  north-east,  come  to  look  for  the  bishop. 
The  king  thought  they  had  stormed  his  seat,  and  fled, 
with  one  or  two  lads,  sword  in  hand  ! 

"The  army  is  now  returning  from  Bunyoro.  The 
commander-in-chief  is  killed,  and  many  others.  Some 
say  that  Kabarega  is  also  dead  ;  others  say,  however, 


276  FIERY   TRIALS. 


that  he  escaped  wounded.  We  can  learn  nothing 
definite  of  Dr.  Junker.  It  is  rumoured  he  fell  in  the 
fight,  but  I  believe  he  was  taken  back  alive  by  Kaba- 
rega.     We  shall  hear  more  definitely  by-and-by." 

To  HIS  Father: — 

"Uganda,  2W1  Jtme,  1886. 
"Again  I  have  sorrowful  news  to  tell,  even  more 
distressing  than  before.  Only  a  month  ago  a  violent 
persecution  against  the  Christians  broke  out,  and 
they  have  been  murdered  right  and  left.  The  origin 
was  an  act  of  splendid  disobedience  and  brave  re- 
sistance to  this  negro  Nero's  orders  to  a  page  of  his, 
who  absolutely  refused  to  be  made  the  victim  of  an 
unmentionable  abomination.  The  lad  was  a  Chris- 
tian, and  was  threatened  with  instant  death,  but  was 
ultimately  only  cruelly  beaten.  But  there  the  matter 
did  not  end.  'These  Christians  are  disobedient,  and 
learn  rebellion  from  the  white  man.  I  shall  kill 
them  all.'  So  said  our  Nero.  At  once  the  order 
was  given  for  their  arrest.  Those  in  the  palace 
grounds,  and  the  more  conspicuous  and  well-known 
Christians,  were  first  seized.  About  a  dozen  were 
hacked  to  pieces  the  first  day,  and  their  members  left 
lying  in  all  directions  on  the  road.  Bands  were  sent 
out  to  catch  and  kill.  Over  thirty  were  thus  slain. 
As  in  the  case  of  the  murder  of  Bishop  Hannington, 
we  were  helpless,  and  expected  every  moment  our 
own  arrest.  We  cannot  yet  realize  the  awful  loss  we 
have  sustained.     Nearly  all  our  best  friends  arrested 


DEMANDS  LIBERTY  FOR    WORSHIP.  277 

suddenly,  and  murdered  almost  before  our  very  eyes. 
For  the  scattered  remnant  we  must  appeal  to  Chris- 
tian England,  and  for  all  who  may  yet  embrace  our 
faith.  We  ourselves,  too,  are  in  a  position  of  the 
gravest  danger.  This  tyrant  is  rash  and  vain,  and 
fancies  that  there  is  no  power  in  the  world  that  can 
call  his  vilest  and  most  cruel  acts  in  question.  If 
this  part  of  the  world  is  longer  neglected,  and  if 
effective  measures  are  not  at  once  taken  to  bring 
this  bloodshed  to  an  end,  the  indelible  disgrace  of 
abandoning  our  fellow-Christians  to  torture  and  the 
stake  will  remain  a  blot  on  every  land  of  freedom. 
We  believe  it  to  be  necessary  that  we  be  enabled 
to  leave  this  country — our  withdrawal  will  only  be 
temporary — until  this  eccentric  potentate  be  brought 
to  reason.  He  has  given  out  that  he  means  to  hold 
us  as  hostages,  fearing  that  the  white  men  will  be 
upon  him  for  the  murder  of  the  bishop  with  his  fifty 
porters,  besides  all  his  other  cruelties.  It  is  not  now 
the  cry  of  the  heathen  for  the  gospel,  but  the  eloquent, 
unremitting  appeal  of  severed  limbs  and  writhing 
bodies  for  help  and  deliverance  from  their  persecu- 
tors. There  is  a  greater  bondage  than  slavery  to  be 
grappled  with  here,  and  it  must  be  grappled  with. 
If  no  single  power  will  interfere  to  demand  freedom 
of  faith  for  East  Africa,  let  the  concert  of  Europe 
take  up  the  subject,  and  proclaim  an  East  African 
Free  State,  as  has  been  done  on  the  Congo.  If  on 
the  Congo,  why  not  on  the  Nile  ? " 


278  FIERY  TRIALS. 


"Uganda,  nth  July,  1886. 

"^We  have  had  the  Russian  traveller,  Dr.  Junker 
as  our  guest  for  a  month  or  more.  He  hopes  to  leave 
for  Msalala  in  a  few  days  by  our  boat,  and  this  letter 
will  go  then.  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  find  him  get 
away  in  peace  and  safety,  as  he  has  no  concern  with 
our  difficulties  here,  and  we  should  be  sorry  indeed  to 
see  him  involved  in  them.  He  is  already  deeply  dis- 
gusted with  this  country.  When  he  gets  (D.V.)  to 
Europe,  he  will  enlighten  the  minds  of  people  upon 
the  state  of  this  neighbourhood  and  the  southern  part 
of  the  Soudan.  I  only  wish  that  I  could  get  away  as 
easily  as  Dr.  Junker.  As  soon  as  he  is  gone,  Mr.  Ashe 
and  I  hope  to  make  a  strong  effort  to  get  permission 
for  both  of  us  to  leave.  We  little  expect  to  be  able 
to  accomplish  that.  Possibly  large  gifts  to  the  king, 
of  all  our  most  valuable  goods  will  help,  by  God's 
blessing.  Under  present  circumstances  it  is  quite 
impossible  for  us  to  effect  any  satisfactory  arrange- 
ment for  the  prosecution  of  our  work,  while  we 
remain  so  completely  within  the  grasp  of  this  blood- 
thirsty tyrant 

"  I  am  sending,  by  Dr.  Junker's  care,  my  journals 
of  meteorological  observations,  taken  here  for  the  last 
eight  years.  I  should  have  liked  to  first  tabulate  and 
reduce  these  into  some  intelligible  shape,  but  that 
work  must  now  be  done  by  others,  probably  by  Mr 
Ravenstein,  of  the  R.G.S.  I  do  not  know  when  so 
good  an  opportunity  will  occur  again  of  forwarding 
these  tables  ;  besides,  they  are  in  danger  of  being  lost 


A   SECOND  MADAGASCAR.  279 

for  ever,  if  they  remain  much  longer  here.  I  am  send- 
ing also  a  box  of  my  old  note-books,  etc.,  to  lie  at 
Msalala,  as  here  we  feel  nothing  is  safe.  It  may 
be  that  we  shall  be  compelled  to  try  to  escape  some 
night,  in  which  case,  even  should  we  succeed,  we 
should  have  to  leave  everything. 

"  There  is  one  method  by  which  we  might  with 
comparative  ease  get  away ;  viz.,  to  first  request 
some  of  our  brethren  to  take  our  place.  That  would 
satisfy  the  cupidity  of  the  king,  because  every  arrival 
of  Europeans  means  more  presents  to  him.  But  we 
should  only  be  seducing  men  into  the  same  trap  in 
which  we  ourselves  are  stuck,  and  that  would  be  un- 
fair, however  ready  some  of  our  brethren,  not  know- 
ing so  well  as  we  the  circumstances,  might  be  to  come 
to  relieve  us. 

"  The  letters  we  sent  off  on  29th  of  last  month  will 
probably  have  reached  England  before  now.  If  so, 
you  know  all  about  the  bloody  persecution  which 
has  taken  place  here.  You  hope  that  this  land  may 
become  a  second  Madagascar.  It  has  become  so, 
already,  but  not  in  the  sense  you  mean.  I  read  only 
yesterday  a  statement  by  one  of  our  former  secre- 
taries, in  which  he  speaks  of  Madagascar  being  an 
instance  of  '  a  nation  being  born  in  a  day  ' !  How- 
ever misunderstood  on  all  occasions  that  isolated  text 
may  be,  the  case  of  Madagascar  was  very  different 
from  popular  notions.  There,  some  fifty  or  sixty 
years  elapsed,  if  I  remember  rightly,  before  the  great 
change  for  good   took  place.     The  first    missionaries 


28o  FIERY   TRIALS. 


died  on  the  coast.  Otliers  followed  and  had  many 
ups  and  downs,  and  many  years  of  hard  labour. 
Then  there  arose  a  new  queen,  who  knew  not  Jesus, 
and  the  missionaries  had  to  flee  ;  and  thousands  of 
native  Christians  were  cruelly  put  to  death,  not  a 
single  hand  being  given  to  help  by  any  of  our  great 
Christian  nations.  That  was  a  rare  exemplification 
of  the  communion  of  saints,  and  the  determination 
of  the  strong  to  help  the  weak  !  ^ 

"  Christian  Europe  left  the  Christians  in  Mada- 
gascar for  some  thirty  years  to  be  massacred  and 
hunted  to  death  for  the  faith.  But  their  Lord  did  not 
leave  them.  Bulgarian  atrocities  can  rouse  the  in- 
dignation of  Europe,  but  not  so  the  massacre  and 
torture  of  Christians  in  Madagascar  or  Uganda. 
None  would  be  God's  instruments  to  intervene  to  aid 
the  helpless  sufferers,  so  God  interposed  directly  and 
removed  the  tyrant.  It  was  only  after  a  new  ruler 
came  to  the  throne,  who  favoured  Christianity,  that 
tardy  England  at  length,  when  no  more  necessary, 
made  a  treaty  with  the  Hovas,  guaranteeing  religious 
freedom !  But  help  in  need  is  help  indeed.  Can 
nothing  be  done  to  waken  our  Christian  land  from  its 
lethargy  regarding  the  sufferings  and  dreadful  wrongs 
endured  by  our  helpless  fellow-Christians  in  Africa? 
Will  you  all  allow  them  to  continue  to  be  murdered, 


*  His  recital  of  events  in  Madagascar  is  not  quite  accurate, 
and  is  evidently  written  from  memory ;  but  the  general  effect 
is  correct. 


THE  SOUDAN  AGAIN.  281 

and  tortured,  and  hunted  for  their  lives  for  decades  of 
years,  merely  because  they  are  far  away,  and  it  will 
cost  a  little  diplomacy,  and  a  little  effort,  and  perhaps 
a  little  expense,  to  secure  to  them  the  bare  rights  due 
to  humanity?  I  can  scarcely  believe  it.  It  is  not 
exactly  like  French  legions  backing  up  French  mis- 
sionaries. France  shows  too  little  friendliness  to  the 
cause  of  religion  at  home,  to  have  the  imputation  con- 
tinually cast  on  her  of  aiding  them  at  such  expense 
abroad. 

"  It  has  not  been  to  aid  Romish  missions  that  France 
even  as  one  of  her  excuses,  has  determined  to  proclaim 
a  protectorate  over  Madagascar.  There  was  a  time 
when  Romish  converts  were  in  the  same  straits  as 
our  own  in  that  island,  but  France  did  not  interfere 
to  my  knowledge.  Nor  have  I  heard  that  of  late 
years  they  have  enjoyed  less  freedom  than  the  Protes- 
tants. It  is  doubtless  the  case  that  Romish  mission- 
aries have  penetrated  into  many  parts  of  the  world 
where  Protestants  have  not  tried  to  send  a  single 
mission  ;  and  if  afterwards  political  difficulties  arose 
and  fighting  had  to  be  done,  post  did  not  necessarily 
become  propter.  We  must  be  fair  in  our  representa- 
tions regarding  France,  as  we  hope  to  be  fairly  repre- 
sented ourselves. 

"  I  have  read  a  good  deal  in  the  newspapers  about 
the  Soudan.  It  is  heartbreaking  to  think  what  fear- 
ful ignorance  prevails  in  England  as  to  that  region, 
and  what  reckless  statements  are  made  and  opinions 
entertained    in    consequence.     I    always  excuse  the 


282  FIERY  TRIALS. 


utter  misconception  on  the  part  of  this  king  and  his 
chiefs  as  to  Europe  and  its  power,  when  I  reflect  how 
equally  great  is  the  misconception  in  England  as  to 
matters  in  Central  Africa. 

"  You  say  in  your  last  letter,  *  Society  throughout 
the  whole  country  is  passing  through  a  real  change. 
Pulpit  and  pew  alike  are  cherishing  a  loftier  and  truer 
view  of  Christ's  relations  to  men  than  was  held  thirty 
years  ago.  As  was  said  the  other  day  by  Dr.  Green, 
"  The  Cross  had  been  allowed  to  shadow  the  Throne." 
The  doctrine  of  the  Atonement  has  been  preached  to 
the  neglect  of  the  rule  and  reign  of  Christ  amongst 
men  in  all  their  relations.  Religion  was  wont  to  be 
set  forth  as  pertaining  almost  exclusively  to  the  soul's 
salvation  and  a  future  heaven.  Now  we  see  that 
Christ  should  rule  Individual,  Social,  and  National 
life.  He  is  the  Lord,  and  the  more  we  recognise  this 
fact,  and  yield  our  hearts  to  it  in  all  things,  the  more 
truly  will  His  kingdom  come,  and  His  will  be  done 
on  earth.  And  that  constitutes  a  grand  argument  for 
missions.  One  cannot  measure  the  wondrous  change 
that  may  come  to  heathen  peoples  by  knowing  and 
following  the  Lord  Jesus.  The  new  life  in  Jesus 
Christ  will  make  all  things  new.' 

"  This  being  so,  we  cannot  fail  to  see  that  England 
can  only  fulfil  her  destiny  as  a  Christian  nation  by 
occupying  herself  continually,  at  home  and  abroad,  in 
furthering  the  cause  of  Christ.  As  private  individuals, 
we  are  to  spread  the  truth  and  relieve  the  distressed, 
and  by  our  lives  adorn   the.  doctrine  of  holiness.     As 


ASKS   THE   AID   OF  DIPLOMACY.  283 

a  nation,  we  are  to  bring  the  weight  of  our  influence 
and  power  to  bear,  on  a  larger  scale,  on  the  evils 
existing  among  our  masses  at  home  and  the  dark 
places  of  the  earth  abroad.  These  are  beyond  the 
power  of  private  effort. 

"  Seeing  that  all,  or  almost  all,  our  best  people  have 
been  now  put  to  death,  it  is  altogether  a  marvel  that 
we  ourselves  have  been  spared.  It  may  be  that  our 
remaining  time  be  spent  in  lifting  up  our  voice  to 
make  known  the  wrongs  and  cruelties  practised  here 
on  the  children  of  God,  so  that  a  helping  hand  be 
stretched  out  to  them,  by  those  who  have  been  un- 
wittingly the  means  of  causing  their  dreadful  deaths, 
and  whose  ears  these  cries  of  woe  would  not  other- 
wise have  been  able  to  reach.  And  if  no  imploring 
entreaties  of  ours  will  avail  to  move  them  further  than 
a  passing  sigh,  or  it  may  be  even  an  earnest  prayer, 
surely  the  tale  of  writhing  agonies  and  tortured 
bodies,  severed  limbs  and  mutilated  frames,  will  do 
something  to  stir  our  Christian  nation  to  the  depths, 
and  cause  them  to  resolve  that  this  blot  on  God's 
universe  shall  for  ever  cease  to  exist. 

"  We  wish  for  no  retaliation,  but  we  demand  for 
ourselves  and  our  native  brethren  the  right  to  worship 
God  without  being  forced  to  face  the  fire  for  our  faith. 
If  Mwanga  is  an  omnipotent  monarch,  as  he  believes 
he  is,  let  us  leave  him  alone,  and  leave  his  subjects 
alone  *to  stew  in  their  own  grease,'  as  a  correspon- 
dent of  the  Times  proposes  should  be  done  with  the 
victims  of  the  Mahdi   and    Dervish  oppression.     But 


284  FIERY   TRIALS. 


if  the  power  still  remains  in  Christianity,  which  en- 
abled it  to  overthrow  the  mighty  Roman  Empire 
and  its  terrible  corruption,  can  we  believe  that  the 
like  cannot  be  done  again  ?  It  is  not  enough  to  say 
that  what  the  Baganda  Christians  are  suffering  to- 
day is  no  more  than  our  forefathers  had  to  endure. 
Because  there  was  no  Christian  power  in  Nero's  days 
that  could  demand  of  that  mad  tyrant  toleration  for 
Christianity — and  accordingly  he  could  slaughter  his 
subjects  when  and  how  he  liked — it  does  not  follow 
that  to-day  petty  kings  in  Africa  may  do  likewise 
without  being  called  in  question.  Because  religious 
liberty  vi^as  gained  in  England  at  the  price  of  the 
blood  of  our  forefathers,  it  does  not  therefore  follow 
that  in  every  land  men  must  wade  through  fire  and 
blood  to  be  likewise  free  to  worship  God.  It  took  us 
centuries  to  know  how  to  make  a  steam  engine  or 
a  cotton  mule.  Must  therefore  every  nation  grope 
through  the  pains  of  finding  its  own  Watt,  its  Ark- 
wright,  its  Crompton,  before  it  can  produce  a  yard  of 
calico  .-•  Yet,  practically,  that  is  what  many  of  our 
friends  believe  is  the  right  course  in  the  interests  of 
religious  freedom  abroad. 

"  The  Romish  Vicar  Apostolic  of  the  Nyanza  ar- 
rived in  Uganda  a  month  ago.  We  asked  him  and 
his  brethren  to  aid  us  in  trying  to  save  the  lives  of 
some  forty  Christians  who  had  just  been  arrested, 
and  who  were  sentenced  to  death  for  their  faith. 
We  hoped  that  by  our  making  a  joint  petition  to 
the  king,  he  would   less  likely  refuse  to  listen  to  our 


THE  PRIESTS  DECLINE    TO  HELP.  285 

appeal.  But  the  Romish  Bishop  refused  to  inter- 
fere, piously  adding,  '  Dignetur  Omnipotens  adjiivare 
credentes  et  sperantes  in  Eum^ — in  other  words,  *  Let 
God  help  them  if  He  will ;  we  cannot  ! ' 

"  Can  I  believe  that  a  similar  reply  will  be  all  that 
will  come  from  our  Christian  friends  in  England 
when  we  now  appeal  to  them  ?  Surely  not.  Now  is 
the  time,  not  for  our  friends  merely  to  congratulate 
themselves  (on  hearing  of  Christians  being  murdered 
here  by  the  score)  on  the  freedom  and  comfort  which 
they  enjoy  in  England,  but  for  them  to  set  to  work 
in  real  earnest,  and  with  the  determination  not  to  rest 
until  in  every  land  of  tyranny  similar  freedom  be 
secured  to  their  brethren,  even  although  these  be  only 
blacks.  Africa  may  be  for  the  Africans,  but  Africa 
will  never  be  saved  only  by  the  Africans.  We  must 
stand  with  them  and  for  them  in  the  fight  with  the 
powers  of  darkness,  which  are  too  many  for  them. 
England  saw  this  in  the  case  of  the  slave-trade,  and 
determined  that  it  should  be  abolished,  although  her 
efforts  have  hitherto  been  only  a  sort  of  nibbling  at 
the  corners  ;  for  it  is  not  on  the  coast  where  the 
slavery  can  be  grappled  with,  but  in  the  far  interior. 
We  had  the  cruisers,  and  they  must  be  somewhere  at 
any  rate,  and  they  might  as  well  lie  off  Sierra  Leone 
or  Zanzibar  as  anywhere  else.  But  that  sort  of  work 
effects  just  about  as  little  as  it  costs.  A  few  days' 
travel  inland  would  soon  show  you  how  little  good  is 
done  by  all  our  ships  on  the  coast.  But  the  British 
public — slow  to  take  in    the  claims  upon   them — are 


286  FIERY   TRIALS. 


easily  satisfied  with  a  story  of  gunboats.  Slavery  and 
the  slave  trade  exist  Just  as  before.  But  there  is  a 
more  dire  bondage  yet  to  be  dealt  with.  The  slavery 
of  sin  and  Satan,  you  will  say.  Yes,  that  is  spiritual, 
and  must  be  met  with  spiritual  weapons.  But  what 
of  this  slavery  of  souls,  where  such  men  as  Mwanga 
will  insist  on  owning,  not  only  the  bodies,  but  also 
the  souls  of  his  subjects  ?  Will  spiritual  weapons 
avail  with  him  ?  Are  they  the  means  employed  in 
England  against  robbers  and  murderers  }  God  works 
by  means,  and  among  men  His  means  are  men.  To 
make  use  of  means  does  not  necessarily  mean  to  rely 
on  the  means,  though  some  cry  out  about  '  an  arm  of 
flesh,'  while  they  themselves  are  every  day  of  their 
lives  enjoying  untold  benefits  from  the  presence  of 
that  arm. 

"  Labour  without  prayer  is  vain,  but  prayer  without 
labour  is  sloth.  God  alone  gave  the  Israelites  the 
victory  in  the  conquest  of  Canaan,  nevertheless  they 
had  to  fight.  The  principle  still  remains  the  same ; 
but  the  end  to  be  gained  is  different,  and  the  weapons 
are  different  also.  The  more  readily  we  fall  in  with 
the  Divine  order,  the  more  easily  will  the  desired  end 
be  attained. 

"  Look,  for  instance,  at  the  Congo.  There  a  mighty 
area,  reaching  far  into  the  very  heart  of  the  conti- 
nent, has  attracted  the  attention  of  statesmen,  and 
they  have  proclaimed  it  a  Free  State,  with  incal- 
culable benefit  to  Christian  missions  for  all  time  to 
come.     Would   it  have  been  better  to  leave  missions 


THE    CONGO  FREE  STATE,  287 

to  struggle  unaided  with  all  the  cannibals  of  the 
Congo  ?  Would  it  be  better  to  leave  them  to  be 
murdered  like  Smith  and  O'Neill  and  Bishop 
Hannington,  and  have  all  their  porters  murdered 
too  ?  or  would  it  be  better  to  have  them  left  to 
gather  converts  round  them  only  that  these  be 
massacred  by  their  own  rulers,  as  is  the  case  here  ? 
But  who  took  up  the  Congo  question,  and  effected 
the  establishment  of  the  Free  State  ?  The  Christians 
of  a  missionary  spirit,  who  were  eager  to  have  all 
that  region  thrown  open  to  the  messengers  of  the 
gospel  ?  The  zeal  came,  I  fear,  from  men  with  more 
sordid  aims  in  view.  The  aggrandizing  claims  of 
France  and  Portugal  had  more  to  do  with  the  present 
solution  than  all  the  cries  of  Christians  in  England 
or  throughout  the  world.  Thus  we  have  all  been  put 
to  everlasting  shame  before  the  world,  a  shame  which 
we  do  not  lessen  by  now  hastening  to  take  advan- 
tage of  what  others  have  secured  for  their  own  ends. 
But  the  Congo  basin  does  not  exhaust  Africa.  This 
part  of  the  continent  remains  to  be  dealt  with,  and 
the  territory  is  no  less  important  than  any  part  of 
West  Africa.  It  is  the  way  in  which  the  Papists 
work,  to  take  every  advantage  of  the  liberty  given 
in  Protestant  countries  for  propagating  their  Popery, 
while  in  purely  Popish  lands  they  will  not  grant 
similar  privileges  to  Protestants.  Shall  we  wait  for 
»  men  of  the  world  to  squabble  about  East  Africa,  each 
/  party  determined  to  have  the  monopoly  of  its  com- 
merce, while   we  look  to   enjoy  the   benefit  of  some 


288  FIERY   TRIALS. 


compromise  they  may  effect,  whereby  our  ends  will 
likewise  be  served  ?  Bismarck  and  Burgash  may 
never  come  to  terms,  for  all  that  we  know  ;  and  what 
about  Mwanga  and  the  Mahdi  ?  I  saw  the  other  day 
a  copy  of  a  proclamation  issued  by  the  Mahdi  to  all 
Arabs,  in  which  he  praises  Allah  for  having  given 
into  his  hands  the  'vile  Christian — Gordon — the 
enemy  of  God,'  and  thereon  he  calls  on  all  his 
followers  '  to  slay  the  Turks  and  sell  the  Blacks.'  He 
slew  General  Gordon  as  the  chief  of  the  Turks,  and 
stuck  up  the  English  hero's  head  to  be  ignominiously 
handled  by  the  Arab  rabble,  whereupon  the  English 
army  ran  away  home,  forgetting  that  they  came  to 
do  what  Gordon  came  to  do,  viz.,  rescue  the  garri- 
sons of  the  Soudan.  Mark  the  logic.  Because  the 
general  could  not  do  that,  without  an  army,  there- 
fore the  army  could  not  do  it  either,  although  it 
had  another  general !  But  enough  about  Khartoum. 
Let  us  leave  it  and  Darfur  to  the  Dervishes.  Some 
one  has  said  that  it  would  be  '  a  fatal  policy  to  let 
any  civilized  power  step  in  there,  as  that  might  any 
day  turn  Egypt  into  either  a  desert  or  a  swamp,'  and 
the  writer  of  those  words,  who  has  lived  ^  twenty  years 
in  Egyptl  might  lose  some  money  !  I  wonder  how 
the  *  civilized  power '  was  to  so  manipulate  with  the 
Nile  as  to  effect  either  of  these  ends.  How  could 
they  increase  the  water  or  diminish  it  ?  Perhaps  they 
might  drink  it  1  Well,  let  that  Jmnianaster  become 
one  of  the  poor  natives  of  the  neighbourhood  of 
Khartoum,  and   try  the  bliss  of  Dervish  dominance, 


•* NEGROES"    OF   THE  SOUDAN.  289 

and  we  shall  see  how  he  will  like  his  own  humani- 
tarian recipe,  '  to  be  left  to  stew  in  his  own  grease.* 
I  shall  take  up  the  question  of  the  Negro  portion  of 
the  Soudan,  as  being  nearest  to  us  here. 

"  The  notion  seems  to  prevail  in  England  that  the 
Soudan  is  all  a  land  of  desert,  inhabited  by  black 
Arabs,  who  live  round  deeply  dug  wells.  It  may  be 
so  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Khartoum,  but  only  one 
half  (the  northern)  is  desert  or  Arabic.  From  the 
10°  lat.  all  the  way  south  to  the  Equator,  or  let  me 
say  from  the  Sobat  and  Bahr  Ghazal  to  the  Albert 
Lake,  there  lies  the  pure  Negro  region — perhaps  the 
most  fertile  in  all  Africa.  That  region  belongs  not 
to  the  Soudan  proper  at  all,  but  to  the  Central  Lake 
district.  The  people  are  blacks,  negroes,  and  in  no 
sense  Arabs.  They  know  nothing  about  the  Mahdi 
claims,  and  are  as  opposed  to  the  Arabs  as  they  are 
to  the  Turks.  Roughly  speaking,  there  are  two  pro- 
vinces in  that  whole  region,  viz.,  the  Bahr  Ghazal  and 
the  Equatorial  provinces.  Lupton  Bey  (an  English- 
man) succeeded  Gessi  as  governor  of  the  Bahr  Ghazal 
province.  The  Arabs  from  the  North,  under  Emin 
Karamallah,  came  against  Lupton,  and  took  him 
prisoner.  I  have  seen  with  Dr.  Junker  a  letter  from 
Lupton,  written  after  his  capture,  in  which  he  says 
that  •  he  was  about  to  be  taken  before  the  Mahdi,  and 
could  not  tell  whether  he  would  be  killed  or  not.' 
Nor  am  I  aware  that  any  steps  were  taken  by  the 
English  army  that  came  near  Khartoum,  to  ascertain 
whether   Lupton   was  dead  or   alive.       Emin   Kara- 

A.  M.  M.  19 


290  FIERY  TRIALS. 


inallah  then  set  out  to  take  the  Equatorial  province, 
of  which  Emin  Bey  (a  German)  is  the  governor.  He 
plundered  and  ravaged  all  the  land  as  far  as  Makraka 
country,  murdering  all  the  Egyptians  he  found  in  the 
garrisons  by  the  way,  and  slaying  also  the  native 
negroes,  capturing  the  women  and  children.  At 
length,  at  one  station,  in  Makraka  country  (I  think), 
the  garrison  was  able  to  make  a  successful  stand. 
News  then  came  from  the  North  that  the  English 
had  come,  and  Emin  Karamallah  returned  with  his 
black  booty  with  all  speed,  as  he  feared  the  English 
would  intercept  his  means  of  escape  by  way  of  Dar- 
fur  westward.  He  never  imagined  that  he  could 
stand  against  the  English,  and  hoped  to  be  able  to 
flee  with  the  Arab  people,  out  of  Egyptian  territory 
altogether,  off  to  Wadai,  or  the  way  of  Lake  Tchad. 
But  the  English,  to  the  amazement  of  all  the  Arabs, 
and  the  bitter  disappointment  of  all  the  Europeans 
and  Egyptians,  turned  tail,  no  man  knows  why,  and 
ran  home,  leaving  all  the  garrisons  to  the  mercy  of 
the  murderers.  Now  the  great  provinces  of  Bahr 
Ghazal  and  the  Equator  are  merely  a  prey  to  the 
slave  raids  of  the  Dervishes  of  the  Mahdi  party. 
This  desertion  of  the  great  Negro  land,  which  Gordon 
governed  once  in  the  most  humane  manner,  has  been 
called  in  England  '  the  leaving  alone  a  brave  people  to 
enjoy  their  freedom.'  Certainly  the  Dervishes  have 
thus  been  left  alone  to  devastate  the  fairest  part  of 
Central  Africa, — that,  too,  by  the  English,  who  once 
said  they  were  determined  to  stop  the  slave  trade  there! 


EMm  BEVS   TROUBLES.  291 

"  Poor  Emin  Bey  !  what  could  he  do  ?  He  with- 
drew all  his  garrisons  from  the  Nyam-nyam,  Makraka, 
Kaliki,  and  other  provinces,  and  concentrated  his 
forces  on  the  Nile,  at  Lado  and  other  stations,  ever 
expecting  a  return  of  Emin  Karamallah,  who  wrote 
him  a  letter  in  the  Mahdi's  name,  summoning  him  to 
surrender,  Emin,  seeing  no  help  came  from  Khar- 
toum, and  perplexed  as  to  why  he  got  no  news  from 
there,  not  a  single  steamer  having  now  come  to  him 
for  three  years,  sent  some  officers  to  Emin  Kara- 
mallah with  a  letter  to  say  that  he  would  surrender  to 
the  Mahdi.  His  messengers  were,  however,  all  mur- 
dered on  the  way.  Lupton  is  lost.  Emin  does  not 
know  if  he  is  killed  or  spared.  Dr.  Junker  and  Sgr. 
Cassati  had  to  return  from  their  travels  in  the  West, 
and  they  two  remained  the  only  Europeans  with 
Emin,  except  a  M.  Marquet,  from  Cyprus.  The 
Makraka  people  and  others  implore  him  to  reoccupy 
his  former  stations  among  them,  as  now  that  the 
government  is  gone,  absolute  internecine  war  pre- 
vails among  the  blacks  themselves,  while  all  dread 
another  invasion  by  the  Mahdi's  people — the  Arabs. 
Emin  has  several  hundreds  of  Egyptian  soldiers  yet 
in  Lado,  Dufili,  Wadelai,  and  Fatiko,  and  has  to  sup- 
port them  and  their  families  and  others,  some  four 
thousand  people  in  all.  He  has  several  thousand 
tusks  of  ivory,  but  can  get  nothing  to  buy  with  it, 
and  his  people  are  relapsing  into  savagery  for  want 
of  clothing.  We  have  tried  here,  in  company  with  Dr. 
Junker,  to  purchase  cloth  to  send  him.     After  buy- 


292  FIERY  TRIALS. 


ing  over  2,000  dollars'  worth,  and  getting  a  caravan 
ready  to  start  for  Wadelai,  with  Mwanga's  permission, 
a  hitch  has  occurred,  and  the  goods  are  lying  still  in 
our  house.  Mwanga  had  to  be  bribed  heavily  to  give 
the  permisson,  and  now  he  refuses  for  some  reason 
or  other.  But  we  believe  the  things  will  yet  be 
allowed  to  go. 

"  Emin  first  proposed  to  bring  away  all  his  people, 
passing  this  way  to  Zanzibar,  and  abandoning  entirely 
the  last  stronghold  of  civilization,  and  pledge  of  future 
peaceful  government  in  the  whole  Equatorial  pro- 
vince. We  wrote  him  earnestly  begging  him  not  to 
do  so,  but  to  hold  on,  as  help  will  surely  come  to  him 
in  time.^  Before  he  received  our  communication,  he 
had  to  change  his  purpose,  as  he  found  that  his  peo- 
ple would  not  leave  that  fine  country.  Emin  cannot 
abandon  them  to  anarchy.  What  is  to  be  done  to 
help  him  to  ro-establish  a  proper  government  on  the 
Equator? 

"I  fear  that  only  one  solution  of  the  difficulty  exists. 
Not  that  England  establish  a  protectorate  over  the 
Equatorial  Soudan,  because  if  we  had  another  Glad- 
stone government  again,  he  (Gladstone)  would  throw 

1  It  has  not  been  sufficiently  realized,  that  it  is  to  Mr.  Mac- 
kay  that  we  owe  almost  all  the  intelligence  that  reached  Eng- 
land regarding  Emin  Pasha  prior  to  Mr.  Stanley's  expedition. 
The  first  news  that  Emin  was  alive,  and  holding  his  own,  was 
leceived  by  the  same  mail,  in  October,  1886,  that  brought,  also 
from  Mr.  Mackay,  the  recovered  last  diary  of  Bishop  Hanning- 
ton  ;  and  Emin's  letters  and  the  bishop's  diary  appeared  in  The 
Times  on  the  same  day.— C.  M.  Gleaner^  May,  189a 


AN  EAST  AFRICAN  FREE  STATE.  293 

it  up,  and  worse  than  undo  all  good  done  as  in 
the  Transvaal  neighbourhood  ;  but  that  a  Free  State 
be  inaugurated,  comprising  all  East  Africa  from 
Zanzibar  to  the  Bahr  Ghazal,  That,  if  properly 
organized  by  the  powers  of  Europe,  would  be  a 
mighty  blessing  to  millions.  Native  tyrants  would 
be  kept  in  order,  and  liberty  secured  for  mission 
work  ;  while  all  ruthless  slaughter  and  cruel  butchery, 
as  practised  here,  would  be  at  an  end  as  soon  as  the 
new  regime  came  into  full  play. 

"  Surely  such  a  plan  cannot  be  objected  to  by  those 
who  rave  against  protectorates  for  the  oppressed  be- 
cause these  cost  money  for  some  years  until  the  new 
State  gets  its  resources  developed.  A  Free  State 
with  a  wise  administrator  will  involve  no  single  Euro- 
pean country  in  particular,  but  will  have  the  eyes  of 
all  on  its  proper  government,  while  the  '  British  tax- 
payer' will  be  saved  his  pounds  and  pence  also. 
This  last  is  the  chief  consideration  with  many  people. 
Let  Africa  wallow  in  blood,  only  save  expense  ! 

"  But  this  must  go  at  once.  I  have  not  told  you  a 
tithe  of  what  I  hoped  to  find  time  to  tell  you.  Still 
even  this  little  is  unknown  to  England  or  its  rulers. 
I  therefore  hope  you  will  make  public  as  much  of 
this  letter  as  possible.  The  press  is  a  powerful  factor 
in  keeping  alive  great  questions." 

To  HIS  Father  : — 

"  Uganda,  2\th  Aug.,  1886. 
*'  You  will  be  gratified  to  know  that  up  to  this  date 


294  FIERY  TRIALS. 


we  are  still  spared,  by  God's  infinite  mercy.  The 
prayers  of  our  many  friends  have  been  heard  on  our 
belialf,  and  no  harm  has  befallen  us,  although  we 
have  been  all  along  in  a  position  of  danger  and  at 
times  of  anxious  uncertainty.  Not  so  our  poor 
native  brethren.  If  you  received  the  letter  I  sent 
you  in  the  end  of  June,  you  will  have  been  deeply 
grieved  to  hear  of  the  bloody  persecution  which 
broke  out  that  month,  wherein  very  many  of  our 
best  converts  were  cruelly  put  to  death — some 
chopped  to  pieces  on  the  road,  and  others  burnt 
alive.  It  is  heartrending  to  think  of,  at  any  rate 
here.  At  your  distance  I  expect  that  comparatively 
little  will  be  thought  of  such  atrocities,  even  by  good 
Christian  people  in  England.  To  us  on  the  spot  it 
is  dreadful  beyond  description. 

"  Since  June  there  has  been  so  far  a  lull,  and  I  do 
hope  a  permanent  one.  Still  up  to  this  moment  all 
our  people  who  survive  are  more  or  less  in  hiding,  and 
any  of  them  who  venture  to  come  to  see  us,  dare  do  so 
only  under  cover  of  darkness.  It  is  indeed  dark  days 
for  Uganda  just  now;  but  we  know  that  just  as  surely 
as  the  sun  will  rise  to-morrow,  so  surely  will  brighter 
days  dawn  on  this  unhappy  country. 

"  In  the  midst  of  all  we  have  great  cause  for 
thankfulness.  We  were  able  to  get  Mr.  O'Flaherty 
away  in  safety.  Then  the  Russian  traveller,  Dr. 
Junker,  was  allowed  to  enter  the  country  at  our 
request,  and  permitted  to  live  with  us.  He  also  got 
away  in  peace  and  safety. 


ASHE   ALLOWED    TO  LEAVE,  295 

"  Recently  Ashe  and  I  have  been  trying  to  get  per- 
mission to  leave  together.  This  was  refused.  Next 
we  tried  to  get  leave  for  one  of  us  to  go.  The  king 
has  again  and  again  absolutely  refused  permission 
for  me  to  leave  the  country,  but  he  has  allowed  Ashe 
to  go.  All  the  arrangements  for  his  departure  are 
made,  and,  God  willing,  he  will  start  from  this  to- 
morrow. I  sincerely  hope  that  no  hitch  will  occur 
in  his  leaving  the  country  in  safety.  I  must  be  con- 
tent to  remain  alone — yet  not  alone.  I  can  ever  be 
of  service  to  the  scattered  remnant  of  the  infant 
Church  ;  and  our  God  will  prepare  the  way  for  better 
things  to  come." 


COMPANIONS  IN  TOIL  AND  TRIBULATION. 


"How  deep  the  loss  of  Mackay,  only  those  who  knew  him 
well  and  saw  his  work  can  understand.  He  was  one  of  those 
few  who  look  fearlessly  forth  and  seem  to  see  the  face  of  the 
living  God.  He  never  despaired  of  any  person  or  anything. 
Quiet  he  was,  and  strong,  and  patient,  and  resolute,  and  brave  ; 
one  on  whom  you  might  depend.  He  endured  fourteen  years 
of  Africa,  and  what  that  means  this  book  will  in  some  measure 
help  the  reader  to  understand — fourteen  years  of  the  contra- 
diction of  men,  black  and  white  ;  fourteen  years  of  dangers, 
fevers,  soj-rows^  disappointments — and  in  all  and  through  all 
he  was  steadfast,  unmovable ;  a  true  missionary,  always 
abounding  in  the  work  of  the  Lord." — Preface  to  second  edition 
of  ''''Two  Kings  of  Uganda." 


CHAPTER  X. 

COMPANIONS  IN  TOIL  AND  TRIBULATION. 

WE  have  already  referred  to  Mackay's  sorrow  on 
the  death  of  his  friend  Dr.  John  Smith,  and 
it  is  interesting  to  note,  from  time  to  time,  touching 
allusions  not  only  to  those  of  his  brethren  who  have 
fallen  asleep,*  but  also  to  the  brave  two  (Messrs. 
Gordon  and  Walker)  who  now  hold  the  fort  in  Uganda. 
But  his  choice  friend,  whose  image  was  associated 
with  the  most  trying  hours  of  his  experience,  was 
the  Rev.  R.  P.  Ashe,  M.A.  Of  him  he  writes  home, 
"Ashe  is  a  genuine  fellow,  a  most  earnest  Christian, 
and  a  true  missionary.  He  is  my  alter  ego ;  in  re- 
ceiving him,  please  think  you  are  receiving  me" ; 
while  Ashe  says  of  him,  "  Mackay  was  more  to  me 
than  any  brother ;  my  best  and  truest  and  most 
loving  earthly  friend,  most  tried  and  most  true.  I 
said,  and  said  truly,  in  my  sermon  last  Sunday,  that 
he  was  the  one  person  on  earth  to  whom  I  dared 
most  to  open  my  heart."  ^ 

'  We  ought  especially  to  notice  the  loss  of  his  "  invaluable 
assistant,"  Mr.  Tytherleigh,  the  news  of  whose  death  reached 
him,  when  at  Uyui,  April,  1878. 

^  "  In  real  friendship  there  is  always  the  knitting  of  soul  to 
soul,  the  exchange  of  heart  for  heart.  In  the  classical  instance 
of  friendship  in  the  Old  Testament,  its  inception  is  exquisitely 
described  :  '  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  he  had  made  an  end 

299 


300     COMPANIONS  IN  TOIL   AND   TRIBULATION. 

As  Mr.  Ashe  was  his  close  associate  in  the  stirrin^j 
events  which  so  quickly  succeeded  each  other  durinfj 
the  next  few  }'ears,  we  leave  him  to  describe  those  of 
them  which  he  has  not  already  depicted  in  his  in- 
teresting book,  "  Two  Kings  of  Uganda." 

"  I  have  an  old  journal  half  consumed  in  a  sudden 
African  camp-fire  lying  open  before  me,  and  in  spite 
of  its  being  half  illegible  it  is  still  precious  to  me,  for 
within  a  few  pages  it  contains  the  record  of  my  last 
parting  with  Hannington  and  my  first  meeting  with 
Mackay. 

"  After  bidding  Hannington  farewell  at  the  south 
end  of  the  Nyanza  in  February,  1883,  my  way  lay 
northward  to  Uganda,  and  coasting  along  the  lake 
in  canoes  provided  by  King  Mtesa,  after  a  twenty 
days'  journey  I  reached  Entebe,  April  2Sth,  1883. 
Entebe  is  a  beautiful  spot  some  thirty  miles  from  the 
royal  enclosure,  and  was  at  that  time  the  nearest  point 
to  the  capital  which  those  who  came  by  water  were 
allowed  to  approach. 

"Just  as  the  sun  was  sinking  on  the  second  day  after 
my  arrival,  as  I  sat  in  a  temporary  grass-built  hut,  I 
heard  the  crack  of  two  rifles,  and  running  out  saw  a 
number  of  people  approaching,  a  white  man  walking 


of  speaking  unto  Saul,  that  the  soul  of  Jonathan  was  knit  with 
the  soul  of  David,  and  Jonathan  loved  him  as  his  own  soul.' 
A  union  like  this  is  formed  not  to  be  broken,  and,  if  it  is  broken, 
it  can  only  be  with  the  tearing  of  the  flesh  and  the  loss  of  much 
blood." — Imago  Christi. 


ASHE   FIRST  MEETS  MACK  AY.  301 

in  front.  '  Bwana  Mackay  amekuja  !  '  ('  Mr.  Mackay 
has  come  ! ')  shouted  my  men,  and  soon  I  was  shaking 
hands  with  Mackay  himself.  It  is  difficult  to  give 
cut-and-dried  descriptions  of  people  without  de- 
scending into  the  female  modern  novelist  style.  But 
bright,  frank,  fearless  blue  eyes  looked  the  hearty 
welcome  spoken  by  his  lips.  His  face  was  hand- 
some, and  what  was  better,  good  and  clever.  In 
stature  he  was  small — the  only  thing  in  which  he  was 
small.  I  was  soon  to  put  his  kindness  to  a  severe 
test,  for  I  had  hardly  completed  the  thirty- mile 
journey  to  the  mission  house  at  Natete,  when  I  had 
a  bad  attack  of  malarial  fever.  As  I  lay  and  watched 
this  stranger  wait  on  me,  and  nurse  me  hour  after 
hour,  I  wondered  at  his  tenderness  ;  for  I  had  some- 
how been  led  to  believe  that  I  should  find  him  per- 
haps a  little  hard.  How  thoughtfully,  unselfishly,  and 
thoroughly  he  did  what  he  undertook !  and  this  noble 
sense  of  duty  was  the  key  to  his  character. 

"  Long  before  I  reached  Uganda  I  had  heard  from 
the  Arabs  the  fame  of  Mackay's  wonderful  house. 
It  was  certainly  very  nice,  with  its  straight  lines, 
panelled  doors,  square  window  frames,  with  wire 
gauze  to  take  the  place  of  glass  ;  but  most  wonderful 
of  all,  its  second  storey  reached  by  a  staircase  from 
outside.  Mackay  characteristically  did  not  live  in 
this  house,  but  in  a  miserable  tumble-down  place, 
which  he  only  consented  to  rebuild  and  make 
habitable  when  its  final  collapse  appeared  immi- 
nent.    The  excuse  he  gave  for  living  there  was,  that 


302      COMPANIONS  IN   TOIL  AND    TRIBULATION 

he  liked  to  be  near  his  engines  and  boilers  and  iron 
goods ;  but  when  Mr.  O'Flaherty  went  away,  he 
came  to  his  own  house.  The  year  1883  passed 
quietly  away,  marked  for  Mackay  by  one  important 
labour  successfully  accomplished,  namely  the  putting 
together  of  the  little  Eleanor,  the  boat  which 
Hannington  had  brought  up  in  pieces  from  Zanzibar. 
It  proved  to  be  a  frightful  task,  for  the  planks  of 
which  she  was  built  had  been  left  lying  out  in  the 
sun  for  months.  I  had  left  the  boards  packed  away 
in  my  tent  in  charge  of  the  chief  of  Msalala  ;  but  he 
took  the  tent  away  with  him  when  he  went  on  a  war 
expedition,  and  threw  the  pieces  of  the  boat  out  into 
the  sun  ;  the  consequence  was,  that  they  were  most 
frightfully  warped  and  twisted.  Mackay  left  Uganda 
in  June,  and  coasting  down  the  lake  in  canoes  joined 
Gordon  and  Wise,  the  two  missionaries  in  whose 
company  I  had  come  to  the  Nyanza.  He  found  them 
at  Kagei,  or  rather  in  a  village  near  at  hand.  They 
had  been  unmercifully  robbed  by  their  own  Zanzibar 
porters  ;  but  Mackay 's  coming  changed  all  that,  and 
inspired  them  with  new  hope  and  heart.  Mackay 
had  suffered  much  from  severe  fever  during  this 
journey  down  the  lake  ;  but  his  spirit  triumphed  over 
every  obstacle,  and  the  pieces  of  the  boat  were  se- 
cured and  brought  to  Urima,  on  the  east  side  of 
Smith's  Sound,  where  Mackay  had  determined  to 
build  the  boat.  Then  the  greatest  difficulties  arose 
with  the  Sultan  or  chief  of  that  country.  'The 
white  man  would    interfere    with  the  weather,'  and 


THE  LITTLE  SULTAN.  303 

worse  than  that,  'would  bewitch  his  majesty.' 
'  Would  make  a  picture  of  him  and  send  it  to 
Europe.  Oh  no,  Mackay  must  go  elsewhere  and 
build  his  boat.'  However,  the  Sultan's  fears  were 
calmed  and  his  feelings  soothed  by  calico  and  copper 
wire  and  red  beads,  and  Mackay  began  the  work.  It 
was  my  misfortune  to  spend  one  night  in  this  place, 
and  the  mosquitoes  were  more  numerous,  more  per- 
sistent, and  apparently  more  poisonous  than  in  any 
other  spot  in  which  I  have  been  obliged  to  make  a 
camp.  Here  then  it  was  that  these  three  brave  men 
sat  down  to  spend  two  or  three  months.  When  Wise, 
who  was  a  skilled  workman,  and  by  no  means  want- 
ing in  determination,  saw  the  planks,  he  pronounced 
the  task  of  making  anything  of  them  to  be  hopeless 
and  impossible.  '  Impossible '  was  a  word  Mackay 
could  not  brook.  Mirabeau's  speech  to  his  secretary, 
'  Ne  me  dites  jamais  ce  bete  de  mot,'  was  one  in  the 
spirit  of  which  he  always  acted.  And  so  the  work 
went  on,  and  grew  day  by  day.  The  little  Sultan 
waxed  woefully  impatient,  and  said  '  the  boat  must 
be  taken  away,  finished  or  unfinished,  since  he  could 
make  no  rain  as  long  as  it  was  there.'  So,  as  soon 
as  she  was  caulked,  the  Eleanor  was  launched,  and 
a  great  deal  of  work  had  to  be  done  after  she  floated. 
But  at  last  she  was  finished,  and  Mackay,  in  addition 
to  her  English  name,  christened  her,  in  the  Luganda 
language,  '  MirembeJ  meaning  peace.  In  the  mean- 
while Stokes  had  returned  from  Zanzibar,  bringing 
necessary  supplies,  and  very  soon  Mackay  was  under 


304       COMFANIONH  IN  TOIL  AND    TRIBULATION. 

weigh,  bound  for  Uganda.  He  crossed  the  lake  in 
three  or  four  days,  and  reached  Ntebe  on  the  2ist  of 
December.  That  was  a  time  of  great  rejoicing,  A 
goodly  band  of  candidates  were  awaiting  baptism, 
and  Mackay  was  back  again  with  the  beautiful  boat 
and  a  supply  of  stores,  and  best  of  all  our  letters  from 
England,  and  good  news  of  Gordon  and  Wise  from 
the  south  of  the  lake.  There  did  not  seem  to  be  a 
single  cloud  in  our  sky,  and  the  recollection  of  that 
Christmas  Eve  is  among  the  brightest  I  can  recall. 
We  three,  Mackay,  Bwana  Filipo  as  Mr.  O'Flaherty 
was  always  called,  and  I,  were  surrounded  by  a  band 
of  eager  learners  desiring  on  the  morrow  to  make  their 
confession  of  Isa  Masiya  (Jesus  Christ).  Right  nobly 
would  some  of  them  cling  to  Him,  not  reckoning  life 
itself  dear  in  His  cause.  There  was  '  Mukasa,'  to 
lay  aside  that  name  for  ever,  and  to  be  known  from 
henceforth  as  Samweli ;  there  were  young  Lugalama 
and  Kakumba,  soon  to  taste  a  fiery  death  ;  there  was 
Bwana  Filipo,  a  little  later  to  die  on  board  ship  in 
the  Red  Sea,  in  sight  of  Africa,  obtaining  a  better  rest 
than  that  of  an  English  home.  And  there  also  was 
Mackay,  to  suffer  a  few  more  years  of  hope  deferred, 
to  see  a  few  more  of  his  plans  foiled,  to  find  more  and 
more  the  weakness  of  men  and  their  insufficiency,  to 
wax  mightier  by  his  trust  in  God,  and  to  climb  to  a 
sublime  height  of  clear  faith  in  Him  and  belief  of  His 
final  and  complete  victory.  And  then,  life's  lesson 
learnt,  he  also  to  be  gently  laid  to  rest  for  a  little 
while  by  the  sunlit  waters  of  the  Nyanza. 


AN  ENEMY  AT  THE  FEAST.  305 

"That  was  a  happy  Christmas.  Two  or  three  fat 
cows  were  killed  and  a  mighty  plum-pudding  was 
made,  so  that  all  the  guests  might  taste  a  little  of 
the  '  pudini '  after  their  liberal  helpings  of  beef.  But 
there  was  a  skeleton  at  the  feast,  in  the  shape  of 
Namkade,  one  of  the  returned  envoys.  This  was  that 
Namkade  to  whom,  during  his  English  visit,  while 
he  was  enjoying  the  hospitality  of  a  generous  friend 
of  Africa,  a  timorous  footman  ventured  to  proffer  a 
strawberry  ice — a  delicacy  with  which  Namkade  was 
not  acquainted.  Namkade's  feelings  of  sudden  an- 
guish, followed  by  fiery  resentment,  may  be  better 
imagined  than  described.  The  footman  made  a  very 
speedy  exit,  and  flatly  refused  to  supply  Namkade 
with  further  refreshments.  It  took  a  good  many 
cups  of  coffee  to  mollify  the  feelings  of  the  insulted 
stranger.  This  was  the  same  Namkade  who  vaunted 
that  his  magic  horn,  a  charm  which  he  wore,  had 
brought  him  safely  to  Europe  and  back  again.  Mtesa 
on  his  return  gave  him  a  small  sub-chieftainship. 
Namkade  did  not  like  the  white  men,  and  he  lost 
no  opportunity  of  showing  his  enmity;  and  he  and 
another  sub-chief  named  Musisi  came  to  the  Christmas 
dinner,  somewhat  flown  with  insolence  and  banana 
wine.  Bvvana  Filipo  summarily  ejected  the  pair, 
who  went  away,  vowing  vengeance,  to  report  to  the 
authorities  that  we  were  making  the  people  our 
children  en  masse,  and  that  Filipo  was  beating  the 
chiefs !  Mtesa,  when  he  heard  the  story  was 
thoroughly  vexed  ;  and  though    Bwana  Filipo  was  a 

A.  M.  M.  20 


3o6        COMPANIONS  IN    TOIL  AND    TRIBULATION. 

privileged  person,  the  king  believed  the  story,  and 
sent  down  a  party  of  men  to  search  our  place  for 
the  '  400  soldiers  we  had  enrolled,  and  to  demolish 
the  forty  houses  which  we  had  built,'  and  to  burn 
down  our  enclosure.  They  pulled  down  a  few  huts 
where  some  of  our  adherents  were  living  :  these  were 
the  forty  houses  of  the  report.  This  was  only  a  small 
matter;  but  though  Mackay  managed  to  propitiate 
Musisi  with  some  gold  thread  and  gilt  buttons, 
Namkade  remained  our  active  enemy.  The  Arabs 
also  made  as  much  capital  out  of  the  incident  as 
possible.  Mackay  soon  went  south  again  with  the 
mission  boat,  and  when  he  returned  later  in  the  year, 
the  shadows  and  suspicions  had  grown  deeper  and 
darker,  and  our  position  was  daily  growing  more 
precarious.  In  October  of  this  year,  1884,  Mtesa 
died,  and  in  him  we  lost  our  friend  and  protector. 
Nor  was  it  until  we  had  the  opportunity  of  comparing 
him  with  his  successor  Mwanga,  that  we  knew  how 
to  appreciate  his  kingly  qualities. 

"At  this  juncture  Mackay  was  in  great  requisition 
to  superintend  the  making  of  the  king's  coffin,  which 
was  done  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  chiefs,  though 
it  was  nothing  to  the  vast  structure  he  had  previously 
made  for  the  late  Namasole — queen  mother. 

"  Then  came  on  the  question  of  choosing  the  new 
king,  and  the  young,  foolish,  fickle,  and  flighty  Mwanga 
was  elected  to  the  supreme  power.  Very  soon,  egged 
on  by  hostile  Arabs  and  his  heathen  chancellor,  or 
Katikiro,    together    with    the    fanatical    Mahometan 


A    TRAP  FOR  MAC  KAY.  307 

Mujasi,  he  showed  himself  our  determined  enemy, 
and  his  enmity  reached  a  climax  on  the  occasion  of 
one  of  Mackay's  intended  journeys  in  the  Eleanor 
to  the  south  of  the  Nyanza,  After  giving  permission 
for  the  boat  to  go  to  Msalala,  permission  ratified  by 
the  chief  judge,  Mujasi  was  sent  with  a  large  armed 
following  to  entrap  Mackay  on  his  way  to  the 
Nyanza.  I  had  accompanied  him  with  my  boys 
Kakumba  and  Lugalama,  and  we  had  several  others 
with  us,  beside  the  porters,  who  were  carrying  oars, 
sails,  and  other  things  belonging  to  the  boat.  Just 
as  we  reached  the  neighbourhood  of  the  port,  we  were 
set  upon  by  armed  men,  who  shouted  to  us  to  go 
back.  Mackay  quietly  went  and  sat  down  at  the  side 
of  the  path,  and  I  followed  his  example.  We  were 
rudely  dragged  to  our  feet,  and  bidden  to  march. 
Mackay  said,  in  answer  to  their  cry,  'Go  back,'  'If  you 
wish  me  to  go  back,  you  may  carry  me.'  Three  or 
four  of  them  seized  him  and  bore  him  along.  He 
had  the  presence  of  mind  to  snatch  the  caps  off  the 
nipples  of  a  couple  of  guns,  which  his  captors  were 
wildly  waving  about.  This  was  afterwards  magnified 
into  a  threat  to  shoot  Mujasi.  After  a  while  the 
soldiers  gently  set  their  prisoner  on  his  feet,  and  we 
quietly  walked  on  towards  the  capital.  Mackay  sub- 
sequently had  an  interview  with  Mujasi,  and  at- 
tempted to  bribe  him  to  allow  us  and  our  boys  to 
go  ;  for  meanwhile  the  boys  had  been  seized  and 
bound.  Mujasi  would  not  hear  of  this,  and  marched 
us  back  to  within  a  mile  or  so  of  our  house,  and  then 


3oS        COMPANIONS  IN   TOIL   AND    TRIBULATION. 

bade  us  go  home.  We,  however,  went  straight  to  the 
chief  judge  to  complain;  but  we  found  that  Mujasi 
was  before  us,  and  the  result  of  our  pleading  was  that 
orders  were  given  that  we  should  be  seized  the  next 
day  and  bound,  and  bundled  out  of  the  country.  We 
were  then  hustled  out  of  the  great  man's  presence, 
an  angry  crowd  surging  about  us,  quarrelling  for  our 
clothes.  Stripping  deposed  chiefs  of  their  clothing 
was  so  common  a  proceeding,  that  the  great  chiefs 
before  going  to  pay  their  respects  to  the  king,  used 
to  provide  themselves  with  the  commonest  inner 
garment,  that  no  one  would  think  worth  stealing. 
We  were  in  evil  case ;  but  Mackay  never  lost  his 
presence  of  mind  for  a  moment.  We  kept  close  to- 
gether, when  suddenly  Mukajangwa,  the  chief  exe- 
cutioner, appeared,  and  drove  the  mob  right  and 
left,  and  gave  orders  that  we  were  to  be  unmolested. 
We  returned  home  in  peace,  but  not  to  peace ;  for 
then  followed  the  darkest  days  I  have  known.  When 
our  boys,  innocent  of  any  wrong,  were  led  away  by 
Mujasi  and  his  murderers  to  the  cruel  torture  of  the 
slow  fire  for  a  few  minutes,  a  falling  to  dreamless 
sleep  for  them,  but  for  me  a  constant  waking  vision 
of  'a  lurid  light,  a  trampling  throng,'  and  an  over- 
burdening '  sense  of  intolerable  wrong.'  I  can 
hardly  find  words  to  say  what  Mackay  was  to  me 
then.  My  one  overmastering  feeling  was,  that  I 
would  go  and  shake  off  the  dust  from  my  feet.  *  Not 
so,'  said  Mackay  ;  '  there  is  work  for  you  to  do.' 
And  we  set  to  work  printing  prayers  and  hymns  and 


MACJCAY'S  OPWIONS.  309 

reading-sheets.  Thousands  of  sheets  were  set  up  and 
struck  off,  and  soon  the  storm  blew  over,  and  we 
were  so  full  of  work  as  to  have  scarcely  time  for  grief, 
if  that  had  been  possible. 

"At  this  period  I  was  very  much  with  Mackay,  and 
learned  to  know  many  of  his  opinions.  He  hated 
formalism  and  formulas  when  these  were  made  to 
take  the  place  of  living  religion  ;  and  he  looked  upon 
the  teachings  of  the  Church  of  Rome  with  the 
deepest  abhorrence.  Their  evasions,  windings,  mys- 
teries, and  their  hocus-pocus  mock-miracle-working 
formula  he  could  not  bear,  though  he  saw  clearly 
that  formulas  expressing  great  truths,  when  properly 
used,  might  be  of  value.  He  used  to  say  that  he 
wished  we  had  some  Christian  rallying  cry  to  corre- 
spond to  the  Arab's  formula :  *  La  illaha  ill'  Allah 
Muhammadu  rasul  Allah  '  ('  God  is  God,  and  Moham- 
med is  His  prophet').  Mackay's  leanings  were  poli- 
tically to  the  Liberal  side,  though  the  theory  advo- 
cated by  some  persons  calling  themselves  Liberal, 
that  England  should  confine  her  interests  to  her  own 
shores,  found  no  favour  in  his  eyes.  Especially 
most  deeply  did  he  deplore  the  then  Government's 
Egyptian  policy,  which  resulted  in  extinguishing  in 
the  Soudan  the  faint  light  of  civilization,  which  was 
snuffed  out  with  Gordon's  death ;  indecision,  vacil- 
lation, and  half-measures  he  had  no  patience  with. 
It  grieved  him  to  think  so  much  money  and  so  many 
lives  were  lost,  and  that  no  result  was  allowed  to 
accrue  from  it.     Mackay  was  always  friendly  to  the 


3IO        COMPANIONS  IN   TOIL   AND    TRIBULATION. 

Germans;  and  it  was  only  natural  that  people  in  our 
position  should  hail  with  joy  the  advent  of  any 
power  which  should  put  an  end  to  the  frightful  state 
of  internecine  warfare  which  is  the  normal  condition 
of  the  tribes  of  the  interior.  In  saying  that  Mackay 
admired  the  Germans  for  knowing  their  own  minds, 
I  do  not  mean  to  say  that  he  preferred  them  to  his 
own  countrymen.  He  would  have  been  glad  to  help 
in  any  way  to  see  communication  opened  up  for 
English  commerce.  He  felt  that,  humanly  speaking, 
the  Christians  in  Uganda  could  not  hold  together 
against  the  weight  of  heathenism  and  Mahometanism 
without  some  other  power,  such  as  a  trading  company, 
which  would  be  on  the  side  of  order.  And  it  was  the 
knowledge  of  this  feeling  which  made  me  so  strongly 
advise  him  to  take  service  under  the  Imperial  East 
African  Company,  and  which  made  him  willing  at 
least  to  consider  the  question  of  doing  so.  I  think 
we  both  felt  that  many  of  the  directors  of  that  Com- 
pany were  full  of  zeal  for  the  extension  of  Christ's 
Kingdom,  and  were  obviously  not  hampered  by  many 
considerations  which  a  missionary  committee  is 
obliged  to  take  into  account.  Mackay  would  never 
on  any  terms  have  ceased  to  be  a  missionary  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Nor  would  those  who  proposed  his  taking 
service  with  the  Imperial  East  African  Company 
have  wished  him  to  be  anything  other  than  that.  I 
venture  to  quote  some  words  of  Sir  Wm.  Mackinnon 
in  reference  to  him.  He  writes  :  '  I  cannot  tell  you 
how  deeply  I  felt  the  intelligence  of  Mackay 's  death 


DECLINES   WORLDLY  HONOURS.  311 

He  seemed  to  be  a  man  among  a  thousand  ;  and  as 
far  as  our  short-sightedness  could  enable  one  to  see, 
he  was  just  the  man  to  have  done  excellent  work  for 
our  country,  and  the  Company  in  which  I  take  so 
much  interest.  His  loss  is  irreparable  ;  but  we  hope 
other  instruments  will  be  raised  up  to  do  the  task 
v/hich  appears  to  have  been  allotted  to  him.' 

"  General  Gordon,  who  could  see  those  noble 
qualities  in  Mackay  which  shone  so  illustriously  in 
hiniself,  some  years  previously  also  offered  him  a 
high  position  in  his  service;  but  Mackay  did  not 
accept  it,  preferring  to  do  his  work  for  Africa  in  a 
position — from  a  worldly  point  of  view — far  more 
humble  and  insignificant  than  that  which  Gordon 
could  have  given  him. 

"  Mackay  was  not  afraid  of  the  opinion  that 
believers  in  Jesus  should  stand  by  one  another,  and 
help  one  another,  to  the  very  utmost  of  their  ability. 
He  saw  no  reason  why  a  Christian  nation, — except 
its  heart  be  eaten  out  by  selfishness  and  pride  and 
disbelief  in  any  higher  motive  for  action  than  self- 
interest, — should  not  say  to  a  chief  like  Mwanga, 
'Cease  from  murdering  your  Christian  subjects,  or 
we  will  take  you  away.'  I  must  be  careful  to  say 
that  Mackay  did  not  believe  in  propagating  Chris- 
tianity by  force.  Perhaps  an  apology  is  due  to 
readers  for  pointing  out,  that  to  believe  in  the 
righteousness  of  giving,  if  need  be,  armed  assistance 
to  persecuted  Christians  is  not  the  same  as  holding 
it  justifiable /<?/;'<?/rt^a/<?  religion   by  force.      God  be 


312        COMPANIONS  IN  TOIL   AND    TRIBULATION. 

thanked,  that  before  Mackay  passed  away  the  Inter- 
national Anti-Slavery  Conference  had  been  convened 
at  Brussels — sure  sign  that  Europe  is  waking  up  to 
the  belief  that  a  common  humanity  gives  the  right 
to  those  who  have  the  power, — nay  more,  lays  the 
necessity  upon  them, — to  say  to  their  brothers,  '  Ye 
shall  not  murder,  rob,  and  enslave,  not  Christians 
only,  but  any  brother  human  being.' 

"  But  to  go  back  tc  our  life  in  Uganda.  The  first 
storm  of  persecution  had  hardly  blown  over,  when 
new  troubles  began  to  threaten  and  dark  clouds  to 
gather  thickly.  As  soon  after  the  death  of  our  boys 
as  we  possibly  could,  we  sent  letters  warning  Bishop 
Hannington  of  the  dangers  of  the  Busoga  route,  and 
asking  him  not  to  think  of  venturing  into  Uganda 
until  we  were  able  to  assure  him  of  the  feasibility  of 
the  step.  Those  letters  never  reached  him,  though 
they  were  in  Zanzibar  only  a  fortnight  after  the  bishop 
had  started.  And  so  Hannington,  knovring  nothing 
of  the  real  state  of  affairs,  and  having  heard  only 
vague  rumours  of  troubles  in  Uganda,  came  on 
with  the  chivalrous  desire  of  sharing  our  dangers  and 
difficulties,  and  came  on  to  die  by  the  orders  of  the 
treacherous  tyrant  in  whose  hands  we  were.  I  have 
elsewhere  told  the  story  of  that  terrible  time  of  trial. 
Mackay  on  that  occasion  proved  of  what  stuff  he 
was  made.  Our  only  strength  then  was  to  sit  still. 
Wild  passions  were  aroused,  and  fear,  the  wildest  of 
all  passions,  was  most  in  the  ascendant ;  yet  Mackay 
did  not    hesitate   a   moment,   when  he  heard  of  the 


STEADFAST  AND   COOL  IN  DANGER,  313 

bishop's  arrest,  to  go  up  and  beard  the  tyrant,  and 
to  ask  for  news  of  the  imprisoned  man.  During 
those  days  immediately  succeeding  Hannington's 
murder,  Mackay  showed  himself  steadfast  and  im- 
movable. Though  every  day  we  expected  to  be  sum- 
moned forth  to  die,  he  quietly  went  about  his  busi- 
ness, as  if  nothing  were  the  matter.  Though  he  was 
most  cool  in  danger,  he  was  absolutely  wanting  in 
that  spirit  which  seeks  danger  and  adventure  for 
their  own  sake.  He  would  have  felt  this  almost  child- 
ish. In  this  I  am  not  altogether  inclined  to  agree  with 
him,  but  I  am  trying  to  give  his  opinion,  not  my 
own.  Mackay  was  most  prudent,  and  careful  to  turn 
to  good  account  the  smallest  means  of  making  our 
position  better ;  but  at  this  time  there  was  simply 
nothing  to  be  done.  Shortly  afterwards  occurred  an 
incident  which  both  he  and  I  felt,  not  improbably, 
would  end  fatally  for  us.  It  must  be  remembered 
that,  for  days,  long  and  earnest  councils  were  held  by 
the  kings  and  chiefs  on  the  question  as  to  whether 
Mackay,  O'Flaherty,  and  myself  should  or  should  not 
be  put  to  death.  Things  seemed  to  be  nearing  a 
climax  when  Nalamansi,  one  of  Mwanga's  sisters,  a 
Christian,  who  has  since  been  burnt  to  death  by  King 
Kalema,  sent  down  word  that  *  if  ever  we  had  need  to 
propitiate  the  king,  it  was  now." 

"Mackay  and  I  made  up  as  large  a  present  as  we 
could  afford,  and  sent  it  to  the  king  and  chiefs,  and 
the  next  day  came  a  "volley"  of  pages  from  the  king, 
with  a  peremptory  command    to    Mackay  to  go  at 


314         COMPANIONS  IN   TOIL   AND    TRIBULATION. 

once  to  the  king's  enclosure.  What  did  it  mean  ? 
We  knelt  to  pray.  Mackay's  prater  was  very 
childlike,  full  of  simple  trust  and  supplication.  Very 
humble,  very  weak,  very  childlike  he  was  on  his 
knees  before  God  ;  very  bold,  very  strong,  very 
manly  afterwards,  as  he  bore  for  nearly  three  hours 
the  browbeating  and  bullying  of  Mwanga  and  his 
chiefs.  Once  only  did  his  Highland  fire  flash  out, 
when  Mwanga  said,  '  Makay,  oli  mukusa  ! '  ('  Mackay, 
you  are  a  hypocrite ! ')  'I  am  no  hypocrite,'  he 
replied  in  anger.  '  Hush,  Mackay ! '  I  said  in 
English  ;  '  do  not  answer  him.'  I  was  indebted 
to  him  for  one  or  two  similar  warnings  during  the 
interview ;  and  the  end  of  what  we  feared  was  to  be 
grim  tragedy  for  us,  turned  out  comedy  rather,  for 
Mwanga  suddenly  shouted,  'Give  these  white  men  a 
couple  of  cows  to  quiet  their  minds,'  and  waved  his 
hand,  and  the  audience  and  ordeal  was  ended. 

"Yet  another  time  of  trial  were  we  to  endure 
together  in  Uganda.  Just  before  Christmas,  1886, 
Mr.  O'Flaherty  had  received  permission  to  leave  the 
country,  and  then  there  came  a  time  of  quiet.  The 
departure  of  even  one  of  the  white  men,  who  were 
always  objects  of  suspicion  in  the  country,  seemed  for 
a  while  to  lighten  the  tension  of  the  hostile  distrust 
with  which  we  were  viewed  ;  but  this  was  only  the 
lull  before  the  coming  storm.  Elsewhere  I  have  told 
the  story  of  the  massacre  of  the  converts.  But  here 
let  me  only  note  how  earnestly  Mackay  laboured  on 
their  behalf.     Early  and  late  he  toiled  at  this  time  to 


LOVE   FOR  BLACK'  CONVERTS.  315 

make  things  for  tlie  king,  and  the  only  reward  he 
craved  was  the  lives  of  the  imprisoned  Christians. 
Many  were  nevertheless  murdered  ;  yet  I  cannot  but 
think  Mackay's  pleading  had  some  deterrent  effect 
upon  the  poor  fool,  Mwanga,  who  was  unconsciously 
killing  those  who  were  most  true  to  him.  Mackay's 
love  for  his  black  converts  was  very  touching.  How 
eagerly,  eloquently,  vehemently  he  would  plead  their 
almost  hopeless  cause !  Yet,  strange  to  say,  he  told 
me  that  at  one  time  he  had  an  almost  uncontrollable 
aversion  to  black  people;  yet  a  childlike  sense  of  duty 
had  enabled  him  to  overcome  his  dislike. 

"But  if  he  was  thinking  so  much  of  his  black  friends, 
the  claims  of  white  brethren  were  not  forgotten,  and 
he  laboured  zealously  at  this  time  to  obtain  a  safe  con- 
duct through  Uganda  for  Dr.  Junker,  who  was  on  his 
way  from   Emin   Pasha.^      He  worked  hard,  too,  for 

•  *'  Had  it  not  been  for  the  presence  of  Mr.  Mackay,  of  the 
C.M.S.,  who  was  residing  in  Uganda,  and  the  self-denying 
and  noble  way  in  which,  knowing  Emin's  difficulties,  he  exerted 
himself  on  his  behalf,  in  all  probability  a  catastrophe  like  that 
which  happened  at  Khartoum  would  have  taken  place  at 
Wadelai.  Mackay,  however,  with  admirable  patience  and  tact, 
managed  to  pacify  King  Mwanga's  fears,  got  him  to  permit 
Junker  to  enter  and  pass  through  Uganda,  and  also  enabled 
Emin's  correspondence  and  a  caravan  of  goods  Junker  was  able 
to  purchase  for  Emin  from  the  Arabs  at  Mwanga's  court  to 
pass  through  the  country.  Emin's  gratitude  to  Mackay  has 
been  often  expressed,  and  he  riihly  deserved  it ;  for  it  was  a 
matter  of  no  little  danger  to  obtain  these  concessions  from  such 
a  suspicious  and  bloodthirsty  king.  It  will  be  seen  that,  owing 
to   Mackay's  aid,  Junker  was  able  to  proceed  on  his  way  to 


3i6         COMPANIONS  IN   TOIL  AND    TRIBULATION. 

the  relief  of  Emin  Pasha,  whose  gentle  character  and 
noble  perseverance  in    his  duty   lie  greatly  admired. 

"On  the  25th  of  August,  1886,  Mackay  and  I  were 
parted.  Mackay  believed  that  if  I  returned  to  Eng- 
land I  might  be  enabled  to  do  good  for  the  cause, 
and  so  sadly  I  bade  him  farewell.  Little  could  I  efifect 
in  this  way,  but  a  piece  of  good  fortune  befell  me, 
which  I  had  little  hoped,  in  the  offer  of  an  old  friend 
to  the  C.M.S.  of  his  services  for  Africa,  so  that  I  was 
enabled  to  accompany  to  the  Nyanza  next  year  the 
Rev.  R.  H.  Walker,  a  man  who,  like  Mackay  himself, 
was  wholly  given  to  his  work  of  preaching  a  living 
Christ. 

"  In  August,  1886,  Mackay  and  I  parted  in  Uganda, 
and  in  December,  1887,  we  met  again  at  the  south 
end  of  the  Nyanza.  Here  I  only  remained  long 
enough  to  see  the  negotiations  with  King  Mwanga 
completed,  to  help  to  lay  in  their  graves  Bishop 
Parker  and  Blackburn,  and  to  see  Walker  start  for 
Uganda.  For  the  next  three  months  I  was  alone  with 
Mackay.  I  had  notified  six  months  previously  to 
Bishop  Parker  my  intention  of  leaving  the  Mission,  so 
that  the  time  for  another  and  the  last  parting  with 
Mackay  was  drawing  on. 

Zanzibar.  Arriving  there,  he  lost  no  time  in  publishing  to  the 
world  Emin's  position  and  Emin's  need." — Graphic  "  Special 
Number,"  April  30th,  18^0. 

Owing  to  Emin  Pasha's  communications,  H.H.  the  Khedive 
of  Egypt  conferred  on  Mackay  the  Order  of  the  Osmanieh 
of  the  4th  class. 


A    GREAT  MISSIONARY.  317 

"  In  these  last  days  I  learned  to  know  him  as  I  had 
never  known  him  before.  And  I  learned,  from  his 
life  and  from  his  patient  love,  to  understand  how  that 
it  is  possible  for  a  devoted  man  to  attain  to  a 
marvellous  height  of  Christliness,  if  I  may  use  such 
a  word. 

"  In  concluding  this  faint  attempt  at  giving  any 
adequate  idea  of  my  impression  of  him,  let  me  add 
that  Mackay  was  a  humble,  pure,  noble-hearted  man, 
in  a  word — a  great  missionary. — R.  P.  A." 


ALONE, 


"  I  have  requested  Casati  to  try  and  make  friends  with  the 
chief  of  the  Waganda,  who  are  stationed  in  Magangesi  (?)  ;  he  is 
an  old  scholar  of  Mr.  Mackay's,  and  perhaps  he  will  be  able  to 
be  of  service  to  us.  You,  however,  well  know  the  strict  disci- 
pline which  is  maintained  in  the  Waganda  army,  and  therefore 
my  hopes  are  not  very  great.  I  am  now  trying  to  prevail  upon 
Mohammed  Biri,  the  leader  of  the  caravan,  to  take  these  letters 
to  Mr.  Mackay,  and  I  hope  he  will  get  them  there  safely  ;  but  I 
am  not  sure  that  Mr.  Mackay  will  be  in  Uganda,  for  in  his  last 
letter  he  says  that  he  will  probably  be  compelled  to  leave  that 
country  for  a  time,  as  the  Arabs  are  again  using  all  their  in- 
fluence with  the  king  to  harm  the  Mission.  I  hope,  indeed,  in 
the  interests  of  civilization,  which  interests  Mr.  Mackay  has 
served  with  such  splendid  success,  that  his  fears  may  not  prove 
true,  but  that  he  may  be  permitted  for  a  long  time  to  come  to 
continue  the  work,  to  the  blessing  of  those  to  whom  he  is  both 
teacher  and  friend.  Should  he  leave  Uganda,  it  will  be  an 
immense  loss  for  us,  especially  for  me  ;  this  I  wish  especially  lo 
put  on  record.  Since  the  very  first  lines  I  wrote  to  Mr.  Mackay 
have  been  in  his  possession,  up  to  the  present  time,  he  has 
acted  for  us  in  the  most  generous  and  unselfish  manner  possible ; 
indeed,  we  shall  never  be  in  a  position  to  thank  him  sufficiently 
for  all  he  has  accomplished  ;  he  it  is  who  has  aided  us,  notwith- 
standing that  he  has  had  personally  to  suffer  for  it,  and  he  has 
been  both  a  true  friend  and  adviser  to  me.  When  I  have  been 
extremely  cast  down,  his  letters  have  aided  and  upheld  me,  and 
given  me  fresh  courage  to  new  work.  He  has  divided  what 
he  had  with  me,  and  has  robbed  himself  to  overload  me  with 
presents.  May  God,  who  protects  us  all,  richly  reward  him;  it 
is  perfectly  out  of  my  power  to  thank  him  sufficiently." — Emin 
Pasha. 


CHAPTER   XI. 
ALONE. 

AFTER  Mr.  Ashe  left  Uganda,  Mackay  was  alone 
for  eleven  months.  Through  the  hostility  of 
the  Arabs,  Mwanga  was  induced  to  ask  Mackay  also 
to  leave  the  country,  on  the  understanding  that  the 
Rev.  E.  C.  Gordon  should  take  his  place.  The  king 
also  told  Mackay  that  "  if  he  went  only  to  the  south 
end  of  the  lake,  he  was  to  return  in  three  months;  but 
that  if  he  went  on  to  the  coast,  he  would  expect  him 
back  in  a  year." 

Mr.  Gordon  bravely  held  the  fort,  amid  much 
danger  for  some  months,  when  he  was  joined  by  the 
Rev.  R.  H.  Walker,  to  whom  the  king  accorded  a 
brilliant  reception. 

Mr.  Walker  was  greatly  encouraged  by  the  work 
which  his  predecessors  had  done,  and  had  many 
more  baptisms.     He  writes  : — 

"  The  native  Christians  came  to  welcome  me,  and 
on  the  Sunday  150  or  200  were  present  at  the  morn- 
ing service,  and  nearly  as  many  at  the  service  at 
2  p.m.  It  was  a  most  refreshing  and  gladdening 
sight ;  it  cheered  me  much.  Really  Ashe,  Mackay, 
and  the  others  have  done,  by  the  grace  of  God,  a 

A.  M.  M.  321  2 1 


322  ALONE. 

glorious  work  here  ;  it  is  a  great  privilege,  but  great 
responsibility,  to  follow  up  such  good  work. 

"  It  would  seem  a  terrible  disaster  if  anything 
happened  to  compel  this  Mission  to  be  given  up. 
The  people  seem  so  much  in  earnest,  and  so  very 
anxious  to  learn  to  read.  Gordon  sells  the  books  at 
a  very  good  price,  and  sells  them  very  quickly.  To- 
day some  of  the  principal  ladies  from  the  court  came 
and  bought  books  and  reading-sheets  of  letters  and 
syllables.  All  the  people  speak  most  kindly  of 
Ashe  and  Mackay.  Of  course  I  cannot  understand  a 
word  of  what  they  say,  but  Gordon  kindly  tells  me 
what  is  being  said. 

"  If  I  can  only  get  hold  of  this  language,  and  the 
king  remains  as  well  disposed  to  us  as  he  seems  to  be 
at  present,  we  really  ought,  by  the  grace  of  God,  to 
do  a  great  work  here  ;  our  predecessors  have  laid  such 
a  good  foundation." 

"Uganda,  12th  Sept.,  1886. 
**I  was  in  full  hopes  of  coming  myself  with  Mr.  Ashe, 
but  God  has  ordered  it  otherwise.  As  I  mentioned 
before,  we  considered  it  the  best  thing  we  could  do 
for  the  Mission,  to  withdraw  for  a  time,  so  as  to 
remove  the  suspicions  against  us  and  against  those 
who  accept  our  teaching,  i.e.,  those  who  are  left  alive 
of  them.  On  the  occasion  of  Dr.  Junker's  depar- 
ture, on  July  14th,  I  wrote  you  a  long  letter  on  this 
subject.  The  heartrending  griefs  we  came  through 
just  before  then  can  never  be  effaced  from  our  minds. 


m  SUSPENSE.  323 


I  only  would  like  to  cherish  the  belief  that  they  will 
never  occur  again.  But  although  there  have  not 
of  late  been  any  fresh  arrests  of  our  people,  yet 
those  in  bonds  are  not  liberated,  nor  has  any  pardon 
been  extended  to  the  great  number  who  are  still  in 
hiding — many  of  them  condemned  to  death.  How 
earnest  our  prayers  must  be  that  it  will  please  the 
Lord  to  turn  all  this  sorrow  into  joy.  Doubtless  the 
day  will  come  when  it  will  be  so,  and  '  the  ransomed 
of  the  Lord  shall  return,  and  come  with  singing  unto 
Zion  ;  and  sorrow  and  sighing  shall  flee  away.'  We 
know  that  the  triumph  of  evil  is  only  temporary,  and 
that  its  defeat  will  be  of  eternal  duration.  Your 
letters  of  January  and  March  were  full  of  consolation 
to  both  Mr.  Ashe  and  myself.  You  write  in  the 
expectation  of  seeing  me  soon.  But  we  must  wait  a 
little  longer.  My  enforced  stay  may  be  for  the  best. 
Now  that  one  European  after  another  has  left,  sus- 
picion against  us  ought  to  cool  down  by  God's  grace. 
More  men  have  been  appointed  for  this  post,  one  of 
whom  (Dr.  Pruen)  you  have  seen.  But  the  recent 
bloody  persecution  has  brought  in  a  new  element,  not 
calculated  upon  by  our  committee  when  they  deter- 
mined upon  reinforcing  the  staff.  I  am  rejoiced  to 
hear  of  every  fresh  hand  put  to  the  plough,  and  there 
is  plenty  for  them  to  do  meantime  at  the  other 
stations,  even  although  it  is  not  advisable  for  them 
to  come  just  yet  into  Uganda.  There  are  most 
grave  considerations  connected  with  Mission  work 
in  such  a  country  as  this.     Unquestionably,  our  last 


324  ALONE. 

desire  would  be  to  see  steps  taken  to  avenge  the 
murder  of  either  the  bishop  or  our  native  brethren. 
But  we  shall  err  greatly  if  we,  by  sloth  and  indiffer- 
ence, allow  such  precious  seed  to  fall  on  the  ground 
in  vain.  It  seems  to  me  that  we  are  bound  to  take 
advantage  of  these  dreadful  events,  to  do  our  very 
utmost  to  prevent  their  like  occurring  again. 

"  '  I  believe  in  the  Communion  of  Saints.'  That 
cannot  mean  a  very  lukewarm  interest  in  their  wel- 
fare. If  the  body  of  Christ  is  one,  and  one  of  the 
members  suffer,  all  suffer.  Infantile  and  poorly  edu- 
cated as  the  Church  in  Uganda  doubtless  is,  yet  not 
a  few  children  of  God  here  have  shown  a  strength  of 
faith  and  resistance  unto  blood  which  their  fellow- 
believers  in  Europe,  to-day  at  least,  know  little  or 
nothing  of.  I  cannot  but  think  that  their  heroism 
deserves  the  commendation  of  all  true  men  of  God 
throughout  the  world.  It  must  be  remembered,  too, 
what  their  fellows  are  still  suffering  on  account  of 
the  faith.  All  the  evils  of  persecution,  so  vividly 
pictured  in  the  end  of  Hebrews  xi.,  are  being  bravely, 
yet  meekly,  endured  to-day.  This  is  the  19th  cen- 
tury, when  Christianity  is  triumphant  in  Europe  and 
America.  It  is  no  more  the  dark  epoch  of  the  centuries 
B.C.,  nor  is  it  the  time  of  conflict  of  the  middle  ages. 
Then  there  was  indeed  no  help  for  the  oppressed 
and  afflicted.  There  is,  however,  no  reason  why  our 
fellow-Christians  should  be  left  alone  to-day  to  en- 
dure the  same  fiery  ordeal  which  our  forefathers  had 
to    undergo.      The   best  proof  of  our   gratitude   to 


MUST   WORK  FOR    TOLERATION.  325 

them  for  dying  that  we  might  live,  is  our  stirring 
ourselves  to  rescue  those  who  have  fallen  into  the 
power  of  the  oppressor. 

" '  The  hand  of  the  Lord  is  not  shortened  that  it 
cannot  save,'  but  we  must  not  expect  salvation  by 
miracle  while  means  are  available.  Is  it  not  for  this 
very  end  that  the  Protestant  powers  have  been  given 
the  supremacy  among  the  nations,  that  they  may 
use  their  power  and  influence  in  spreading  abroad  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth  ?  But  the  command,  ^Prepare 
ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,'  was  given  before  that  other, 
'  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to 
every  creature.'  If  we  are  taught  any  lesson  by  the 
sad  events  which  have  of  late  occurred  in  East  Africa, 
this  certainly  is  one,  that  we  cannot  reverse  the  Divine 
order.  We  must  condescend  to  clear  the  ground 
and  level  it,  before  we  can  plough  and  sow.  Our 
Societies  are  perhaps  often  too  eager  to  see  results, 
to  allow  duly  for  the  necessary  preliminaries  of  pre- 
paring the  way.  Perhaps  you  will  call  me  too 
mechanical  in  making  this  suggestion  of  a  parallel. 
But  your  commendation  of  Prof.  Drummond's  book, 
which  I  have  got  and  eagerly  read,  on  your  sugges- 
tion, leads  me  to  think  that  you  will  allow  a  parallel 
drawn,  not  from  nature,  but  from  the  arts — which  are 
only  a  utilization  of  nature.  In  olden  times  with  us, 
and  to  this  day  in  uncivilized  lands,  men  counted  it 
enough  if  they  got  to  their  destination  anyhow,  and  no 
one  thought  it  the  business  of  a  traveller  to  concern 
himself  about  removing  the  difficulties  of  the  way.    His 


326  ALONE. 

object  was  mercl)'  to  get  over  them.  Hence  there 
were  many  accidents,  and  comparatively  few  travel- 
lers. But  some  wiser  minds  at  length  discovered  the 
fact  that  much  less  energy  was  needed  to  remove, 
once  and  for  all,  the  inequalities  of  the  wa)',  and  then 
glide  along.  The  impulse  given  to  travel  and  tran- 
sit was  at  once  marvellous.  What  coach  company 
would  have  believed  a  hundred  years  ago,  that  by 
to-day,  England  would  spend  eight  hundred  millions 
in  bringing  low  the  hills  and  filling  up  the  valleys  } 
But  the  wisdom  of  the  step  is  demonstrated  beyond 
all  question  by  the  success  which  has  followed.  The 
wheels  were  set  free  to  run  straight  on.  So  it  will 
be  in  the  work  of  driving  the  Lord's  chariot.  The 
heavy  obstacles  must  be  removed.  A  strong  hand 
must  be  brought  to  bear  on  tyranny  and  oppression. 
The  word  must  be  given  free  coiirse  to  run.  But 
just  as  no  railway,  however  level,  will  itself  propel 
the  train,  unless  the  engine  is  there,  so  no  charter  or 
treaty  of  liberty  and  protection  will  make  a  single 
convert.  Nothing  short  of  the  power  of  the  Spirit 
of  life  can  awaken  the  spiritually  dead  to  life. 

"Possibly  you  will  tell  me  that  my  analogy  does  not 
hold,  for  the  gospel  itself  has  ever  been  regarded  as 
the  best  preparer  of  its  own  way.  But  have  not  the 
many  disasters  which  have  befallen  missionaries  and 
their  converts  in  more  fields  than  this  been,  in  great 
part,  due  to  this  very  conception  ?  You  can  send 
locomotive  after  locomotive  at  full  steam  against 
the  side  of  a  hill,  but  the  chief  effect  will  be  that 


AVOID   NEEDLESS  SACRIFICE,  327 

most  of  them  will  get  smashed.  You  doubtless  will 
///  time  make  an  impression  on  the  hill,  and  fill  the 
valley  with  broken  engines.  But  all  will  allow  that 
such  a  method  would  be  a  rather  expensive  way  to 
go  to  work.  Yet  this  is  very  much  the  method 
which  has  been  pursued  in  some  Missions,  especially 
those  to  savage  lands.  Where  colonies  existed,  or 
other  means  of  protection  were  used,  we  do  not  read 
of  massacres.  Because  God  has  frequently  perfected 
strength  in  weakness,  and  granted  success  in  spite  of 
our  mistakes,  that  no  man  should  boast,  I  do  not 
believe  that  we  are  therefore  to  conclude  that  the  old 
leap-in-the-dark  method  is  therefore  the  one  He 
intended  us  to  pursue.  It  was  Krapf  who  said,  'The 
survivors  will  pass  over  the  slain  in  the  trenches,  and 
carry  this  African  fortress  for  the  Lord.'  But  I 
question  very  much  if  we  are  warranted  in  making 
a  bridge  of  dead  bodies,  when  it  is  possible  to  over- 
come the  obstacle  by  other  less  costly  and  therefore 
less  romantic  means.  When  Krapf  was  in  East 
Africa,  he  found  it  wisest  to  keep  within  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  the  Sultan  of  Zanzibar,  whom  England  had 
caused  to  grant  liberty  to  Christian  teachers !  What 
was  secured  in  Zanzibar  can  also  be  secured  in 
Uganda  and  East  Africa  generally,  if  men  only  set 
their  minds  to  it. 

"  Perhaps  you  have  noticed  the  new  translation  of 
Haggai  ii.  7,  '  The  things  desired  of  all  nations  shall 
come.'  That  does  not  exclude  the  meaning  we 
associated    with  the  old    translation ;    but   it    means 


328  ALONE. 

much  more.  It  means  peace  and  liberty,  which  are 
most  desirable  things  to  God's  people  in  all  nations. 
In  England,  men  are  now  so  accustomed  to  easy 
transit  that  they  can  scarcely  realize  what  a  fix  they 
would  be  in  were  there  no  high  roads  or  railways. 
So  also  peace  and  liberty  have  become  so  truly  part 
of  their  nature  that  they  cannot  well  imagine  a  state 
of  things  when  they  dare  go  to  church  only  under 
pain  of  death,  or  be  found  with  a  book  or  piece  of 
paper  under  pain  of  being  roasted  alive.  If  such 
penalties  were  inflicted  on  otie  individual,  would  there 
not  be  an  outcry  .>'  But  when  a  whole  community  is 
treated  so — because  at  a  distance — it  is  regarded  as 
almost  a  matter  of  course.  Such,  at  any  rate,  was 
the  attitude  in  the  case  of  the  murder  of  the  three 
Christian  lads  in  January  of  last  year — one  of  them 
a  member  of  our  own  household.  There  must  be 
a  new  departure  taken  as  to  Mission  work.  We  owe 
a  debt  to  these  people,  whom  our  teaching  exposes 
to  such  dreadful  torments.  Vengeance  is  the  Lord's, 
but  prevention  is  ours.  It  is  not  by  might,  nor  by 
power,  but  by  God's  Spirit,  that  the  Church  can 
extend.  Yet  we  all  believe  in  united  efforts  for  its 
extension.  Similarly  will  the  Spirit  of  God  accom- 
pany and  perfect  all  lawful  and  peaceful  means  taken 
by  His  .servants  for  strengthening  the  weak  and  help- 
ing the  helpless  in  His  Church. 

"  Our  people  venture,  a  few  of  them,  to  come  to  me 
every  evening  after  dark.  Those  most  determinedly 
marked    out  for  execution,  and   particularly  sought 


A   NEW    WAY  OF  SHOWING  AFFECTION.         329 

after,  dare  only  come  about  midnight.  I  give  them 
a  little  instruction  and  comfort,  and  we  have  prayer, 
together.  Several  of  them  I  cannot  refuse  to  help 
materially,  as  they  are  reduced  to  beggary,  and  are 
in  want.  In  such  a  time  I  do  aid  them ;  but 
ordinarily  I  have  to  refuse  applications  of  the  kind, 
as  black  men  are  all  more  prone  to  beg  than  to 
dig. 

"As  I  have  no  one  to  talk  to  here  in  my  own 
language,  you  will  pardon  the  length  of  this  rigma- 
role on  paper.  Plenty  to  do  is  a  good  cure  for 
loneliness,  and  I  can  always  find  that.  I  have  not  yet 
got  reconciled  altogether  to  my  position,  but  that  is 
only  a  matter  of  time.  There  is  no  use,  at  any  rate, 
of  fretting  and  knocking  myself  against  the  walls  of 
my  cage.  I  have  altogether  very  much  to  be  grateful 
for.  Meantime,  I  am  exceedingly  thankful  that 
O'Flaherty,  Junker,  and  Ashe  have  all  been  permitted 
to  escape  in  peace,  and  are  safe  from  the  clutches 
of  this  boy-tyrant.  He  pretends  that  his  reason  for 
not  allowing  me  to  go  is  his  affection  for  me.  He 
should  rather  put  it,  'his  affection  for  himself !  But 
if  my  stay  will  help  to  make  him  *  come  to  himself/ 
and  thus  save  him  from  absolute  perdition,  I  shall 
not  grieve  at  his  forced  detention  of  me.  Unless  the 
Lord  has  mercy  on  him,  he  will,  however,  come  to 
grief  some  day.  He  is  at  present  exasperating  his 
chiefs  and  people  by  his  highhandedness  with  them. 
They  did  not  pity  the  despised  Christians  when 
these  were  the  victims  of  cruelty.     But   when  they 


330  ALONE. 

themselves    are    roundly    fined    for   failing   to    build 
enough  for  him,  there  is  no  end  of  secret  grumbling.'' 

"March  lyth,  1887. — I  feel  sure  that  Mr.  Ashe  has 
already  done  good  on  the  way,  correcting  erroneous 
impressions,  and  awakening  a  more  intelligent  in- 
terest in  the  great  problems  which  must  be  solved 
before  our  work  can  have  free  scope.  It  is  not 
enough  that  we  nibble  at  stray  corners  of  the  concrete 
mass  of  heathendom  and  Satan's  kingdom.  While 
attacking  the  molecules  here  and  there,  we  must  try 
all  in  our  power  to,  at  the  same  time,  dissolve  the 
mass.  As  Dr.  Duff  used  to  put  it,  we  must  lay  a 
mine  which,  when  sprung,  will  blow  to  atoms  the 
mountain  of  barbarism  and  cruel  superstition  which 
have  prevailed  hitherto.  Thus  we  shall  prepare  the 
way. 

"  I  am  sorry  that  you  should  have  suffered  such 
painful  anxiety  on  my  account.  I  am  not  bound  or 
imprisoned,  only  detained,  i.e.,  refused  permission 
to  leave  the  country.  Possibly  I  might  escape  by 
stealth,  at  considerable  risk,  however;  but  I  should 
only  resort  to  such  a  method  in  case  of  very  dire 
necessity.  I  do  not  think  it  honourable  to  break 
parole.  I  would  not  thereby  increase  the  good  name 
of  the  white  man  for  honour  or  straightforwardness. 
I  do  not  imply  that  you  suggest,  or  ever  have 
sugge.sted,  that  I  should  boit.  But  some  have  implied 
to  me  as  much.  I  have  no  desire  to  abandon  the 
position,   if  it  can   be  held    at    all,  or   if  remaining 


THE   K1NG\     CONSCIENCE  ACCUSES  HIM.         331 

would,  on  the  whole,  be  wiser  than  going.  I  do  not 
assert  that  it  really  is  wiser,  but  it  seems,  so  far,  to  me 
to  be  so.  The  fact  of  the  French  continuing  to  hold 
on  is  no  light  argument  to  be  scouted  why  I  should 
not  hold  on  also.  But  I  do  not  believe  it  wise  to 
bring  more  men  on  here  meantime,  either  to  aid  me 
or  to  relieve  me.  That  method  would  merely  land  us 
in  the  pitfall  of  the  old  suspicions.  You  truly  de- 
scribe us  as  being  children  of  storm.  Something  or 
other  is  always  up.  The  very  day  before  the  mail 
arrived,  the  king's  buildings  were  again  almost  en- 
tirely destroyed  by  fire,  and  the  Katikiro's  also.  I 
have  heard  that  the  king  regards  it  as  a  judgment 
from  heaven  on  him  and  the  Katikiro,  for  having  a 
few  days  before  secretly  murdered  another  Christian 
lad.  They  enticed  him  back  with  promises  of  pro- 
motion. He  was  sent  down  from  the  king's  court  to 
the  Katikiro's,  taken  into  inner  enclosures  there,  and 
never  more  came  out.  Some  of  the  servants  report 
that  he  was  strangled  and  buried  in  a  hole !  The 
king  had  also  been  giving  out  that  he  meant  to  hold 
another  great  slaughter  of  the  Christians  ;  but  his 
mother  and  the  Katikiro  and  some  others  advised 
forbearance,  and  just  now  I  hear  nothing  more  of  the 
matter,  but  the  '  wild  beast ' — Nero — may  break  loose 
any  day.  That  is,  he  would,  if  he  had  his  way ;  but 
I  believe  firmly  the  prayers  of  our  many  friends  have 
been  heard,  and  the  good  Lord  restrains  the  remnant 
of  man's  wrath. 

"  I  hope  soon  to  hear  of  Stanley  being  on  the  road. 


332  ALONE. 

I  have  told  no  one  here  except  the  Frenchmen.  I 
hope  his  coming  will  be  blessed  of  God,  in  helping 
to  establish  a  less  suspicious  footing  for  our  Mission 
with  the  authorities  than  the  present.  Its  ulterior 
results  may  be  far-reaching,  and  I  devoutly  hope  for 
the  peace  of  East  Africa,  and  the  opening  of  it  up 
to  the  gospel. 

"  I  am  thankful  that  at  present  no  interference  is 
made  with  me  in  teaching  daily  in  my  own  house. 
May  we  continue  to  have  your  earnest  prayers  that 
the  work  may  continue  to  grow.  As  you  say,  I 
should  not  then  mind  my  quasi-imprisonment." 

"  Uganda,  Jiine  2nd,  1889. 
"You  are  right  in  saying  that  persecution  prevents 
hypocrisy,  and  tends  to  show  a  truer  work  than  court 
favours  would  likely  do.  But  at  the  same  time  it 
must  be  remembered  that  we  ask  for  no  patronage 
or  favour  from  the  authorities.  We  seek  only  bare 
toleration,  and  that  is  no  more  than  you  expect  at 
home.  Nor  even  can  it  be  said  that  the  fact  of  the 
Anglican  Church  being  established  by  law  necessarily 
renders  it  a  nest  of  dissemblers.  In  these  days,  thank 
God,  there  is,  even  in  the  Established  Church,  a  large 
amount  of  deep  and  pure  spirituality.  Doubtless 
there  is  also  much  else,  and  so  also  is  there  in  the 
denominations  not  so  established.  History  proves 
that  real  life  is  a  thing  which  exists  quite  independ- 
ently of  State  patronage,  and  is  little  affected  by  the 
presence  or  absence  of  that.     Yet  perpetual  murder 


EFFECT  OF  PERSECUTION  ON    THE    WEAK,     y^i 

and  persecution  can  not  only  kill  out  almost  the  last 
spark  of  vitality — witness  the  history  of  Protestantism 
in  France,  after  the  days  of  St.  Bartholomew — but 
produces  another  great  evil,  which  I  cannot  fail  to  see 
here,  viz.,  to  cause  not  a  few  earnest  souls  to  draw 
back,  and,  under  fear  of  death,  renounce  the  faith  they 
would  willingly  follow  were  the  attendant  difficulties 
not  so  great.  We  cannot  exactly  say  that  such  are, 
at  any  rate,  unworthy  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  for 
even  the  apostles  were  sifted  as  wheat,  and  all  forsook 
their  Lord  and  fled.  Had  He  not  appeared  to  them 
again  in  person,  who  can  tell  how  many  of  them 
would  to-day  be  numbered  among  the  elect?  But 
while  we  do  not  want  the  favour  of  the  great,  we  do 
not  want  their  determined  attitude  of  warlike  de- 
fiance. Even  here  there  seems  at  times  signs  of  that 
relaxing.  When  we  pray,  '  Thy  kingdom  come,'  we 
must  mean  that  it  will  come  to  the  high  and  the 
great  as  well  as  to  the  weak  and  the  poor.  We  must 
aim  at  the  difficult  and,  humanly  speaking,  impossible, 
as  well  as  at  what  is  comparatively  easy.  Christi- 
anity is  a  gospel  for  the  rich  and  proud  as  well  as 
for  the  poor  and  humble.  Men  must  be  saved  from 
themselves  and  their  besetting  sins,  whatever  their 
status  in  life. 

"  I  have  been  keeping  quiet,  and  simply  allowing 
the  Arabs  to  have  full  swing  in  their  determination 
to  have  me  out  of  the  country.  By  sending  off  a 
cargo  of  goods  I  can  do  without,  I  lead  them  to 
believe  that  I    am   going   myself;  but   I  do   not  tell 


334  ALONE. 

them  that  I  have  no  such  intention,  and  shall  do  my 
utmost  to  remain  if  I  can.  There  is  no  deception  in 
this.  I  am  not  so  foolish  as  to  tell  them  my  counsel  ; 
and  if  they  draw  conclusions  of  their  own,  I  cannot 
rush  about  correcting  every  false  notion.  Still,  it 
may  be  the  Lord's  will  that  I  leave,  either  perman- 
ently or  temporarily  ;  and  my  only  desire  is  to  know 
and  follow  His  will.  To  do  aught  else  were,  indeed, 
veritable  folly. 

"  I  have  sent  to  Ventnor  a  copy  of  the  complete 
translation  of  St.  Matthew's  Gospel.  It  is  being 
rapidly  bought  up,  although  the  majority  of  the 
Christians  are  off  at  the  war.  I  fear  the  whole 
edition  will  soon  be  out  of  print.  Meantime  I  have 
to  make  up  for  lost  time  by  issuing  new  sets  of 
alphabets,  reading-sheets,  and  other  things,  some 
time  out  of  print,  and  constantly  demanded ;  and 
when  these  are  finished,  I  hope  (D.V.)  to  commence 
setting  up  the  Gospel  of  St.  John.  That  rare  expo- 
sition of  the  mind  of  Christ  must  be  in  the  language 
as  soon  as  possible,  so  as  to  convey  to  the  minds  of 
our  people  the  deep  spiritual  truths  entirely  omitted 
by  St.  Matthew. 

"  Of  course  I  have  heard  nothing  yet  of  Stanley's 
expedition,  nor  have  I  mentioned  the  subject  here 
to  any  native  or  Arab.  I  have  been  in  fear  lest  the 
war  party  gone  against  the  Bunyoro  might  meet 
him  ;  but  the  king  of  that  country  shows  signs  of 
submission,  and  the  Uganda  army  may  now  merely 
go  raiding  south-west. 


AGAINST  GUNPOWDER   AND    GUNS.  335 

"  To-night  I  hear  that  one  ot  our  Christians,  a 
chief  named  Mutesa  (Edward  Hutchinson),  has  bee  1 
killed  in  a  quarrel  between  him  and  some  others 
(Basalosalo)  on  the  march. 

"  Please  do  your  best  to  aid  in  getting  up  a  cru- 
sade against  the  mad  policy  of  flooding  Africa  with 
gunpowder  and  guns.  These  things  are  the  curse  of 
East  Africa,  as  gin  is  of  the  West  Coast" 

The  following  letter  from  Bishop  Parker  to  the 
C.M.S.  explains  the  course  of  events : 

"MUHALALA,  UGOGO," 
Sept.  sth,  1887. 

"On  September  29th,  1886,  the  acting  Consul- 
General  at  Zanzibar  wrote  a  letter  to  Mwanga,  and 
intrusted  it  to  an  Arab  to  deliver  and  explain  to  the 
king. 

"This  letter  reached  Uganda  on  April  26th,  1887, 
It  was  written  in  Arabic,  but  an  English  translation 
of  it  was  sent  to  Mackay. 

"  Through  the  enmity  of  the  Arabs  towards 
Europeans,  this  letter  was  not  translated  to  the  king 
till  May  6th,  and  was  then  so  mistranslated  as  to 
irritate  the  king  and  his  chiefs,  and  it  was  also  made 
to  appear  that  the  Consul  required  Mwanga  to  drive 
out  the  Muzungu  from  his  country. 

"  On  April  29th  the  Arabs  had  called  the  English 
missionaries  '  landeaters,'  and  the  king  swore  that  he 
would  not  tolerate  Christianity,  and  after  May  6th  it 


336  ALONE. 

seemed  as  if  Mackay  would  have  to  leave  ;  so  on 
May  8th  he  arranged  to  send  150  loads  of  iron  and 
•  other  things  to  Msalala.  On  May  17th  the  king 
declared  war  against  Kabarega,  and  all  Christians 
were  ordered  to  fight,  and  were  to  be  burned  if  they 
were  not  successful.  The  box  which  arrived,  full  of 
New  Testaments,  was  doubly  valuable  at  such  a  time, 
and  its  contents  were  sold  in  ten  days,  and  there 
were  loud  cries  for  more.  What  Mackay  had  printed 
of  St.  Matthew's  Gospel  was  rapidly  purchased. 
Later  on,  Kabarega  sued  for  peace.  Up  to  the  end 
of  May,  Mackay  was  determined  to  hold  on  if  he 
could  do  so  on  anything  like  tolerable  conditions. 

"On  June  i8th  Mackay  writes:  'Mvvanga  asked 
Koluji  the  other  day  if  I  was  going  or  not.  Koluji 
replied  that  I  did  not  wish  to  go.  Suliman  has  again 
been  demanding  that  I  be  sent  away.  "  What  is  he 
doing  in  the  country  ? "  said  the  Arab.  The  king 
suggests  that  what  detains  me  is  the  necessity  for  my 
keeping  up  communication  with  Emin  Pasha,  receiv- 
ing and  sending  letters,  etc.  ;  but  again  he  avows,  *  I 
will  not  have  his  teaching  in  the  country  while  I  live. 
After  I  am  dead  the  people  may  learn  to  sonid'^ 
(read).' 

"On  July  1 2th  he  writes:  'One  day  in  open 
baraza,  I  being  absent,  Suliman  made  a  fresh  de- 
mand for  my  dismissal.  Thereupon  the  king  sent 
a  message  to  my  house  to  ask,  "  When  I  meant  to 
go  ?  Are  my  goods  all  gone  .•*  I  must  go  to  see  him 
before  leaving."     In  the  afternoon  of  next  day  the 


ARRANGES    TO  LEAVE    UGANDA.  337 

Katikiro  sent  for  me,  but  I  was  too  ill  with  catarrh 
to  go  to  see  him.  I  hope  to  arrange  so  that  they  will 
allow  me  to  leave  the  Mission  premises  and  goods  in 
charge  of  some  of  our  coast  servants  until  I  return, 
or  some  of  the  brethren  come,  or  else  that  they  will 
allow  me  to  bring  in  either  Gordon  or  Hooper  before 
I  go  myself.' 

"  After  many  conversations  with  various  chiefs  and 
with  the  king,  this  was  at  last  arranged. 

"  Referring  to  the  close  of  a  long  discussion  in 
court  about  his  departure,  Mackay  writes  :  '  I  was 
worried  to  exhaustion,  and  felt  that  only  more 
trouble  would  follow  if  I  did  not  yield.  I  therefore 
left  my  seat  again,  and,  going  over  to  where  the 
Katikiro  was  sitting,  said:  "The  question  is  not.  Who 
reported  this  or  that  ?  but  Does  the  king  want  me  to 
go  or  stay?  If  he  wants  me  to  leave,  I  shall  go  at 
once.  ...  I  would  leave  my  house  and  goods 
in  charge  of  servants,  and  taking  only  my  bedding, 
etc.,  go  at  once  and  have  this  matter  settled  and 
come  back  again."  This  was  agreed  to,  the  king 
asking  me  to  leave  my  fundi,  carpenter,  and  tools, 
etc.  .  .  .  The  whole  matter  is  so  mixed  with 
their  fear  of  the  consequences,  on  account  of  the 
murder  of  the  bishop,  which  Mwanga  persists  in 
stoutly  denying,  that  no  understanding  with  him  will 
ever  be  possible  until  he  acknowledges  that  crime, 
and  expresses  regret  for  it.  Nor  dare  I  charge  him 
with  murdering  the  bishop  and  his  men,  nor  say  that 
I  and  others  reported   the   fact  of  the  murder.     This 

A.  M.  M.  22 


338  ALONE. 

is  uppermost  in  his  thoughts,  and,  because  not  alluded 
to  by  the  Consul,  leaves  King  Mvvanga  a  loophole 
whereby  to  charge  me  of  accusing  him  of  making  me 
a  prisoner.'     .     .    . ' 

"  One  hundred  and  sixty  copies  of  Luganda 
Matthew  complete  had  been  bought  up,  so  that  he 
had  not  a  single  copy  left.  On  July  13th  the  king 
agreed  that  Nantinda  should  go  with  Mackay  as 
vmbaka  (messenger),  and  bring  back  Gordon,  whose 
name,  being  familiar  to  them  from  Gordon  Pasha, 
they  liked. 

"  Mackay  sent  presents  to  the  king,  Katikiro,  and 
others,  and  the  Katikiro,  Pokino,  Koluji,  Kago, 
Mugema,  and  others  sent  him  parting  gifts  ;  and  the 
king  gave  him  copper  and  brass  spears  and  a  brass 
ornament  for  the  neck,  and  sent  him  a  message  that 
if  he  went  only  to  Msalala  he  was  to  return  in  three 
months,  but  that  if  he  was  called  to  the  coast  he 
must  return  very  soon. 

"On  July  2 1st  he  locked  up  the  Mission  premises, 
and  called  on  the  Frenchmen  and  left  the  keys  with 
them.  He  placed  four  coast  men  in  charge  of  the 
house,  and  went  to  the  port.  He  found  the  Eleanor 
leaking  terribly,  and  was  obliged  to  repair  her  and 
patch  her  before  embarking.  He  arrived  at  Ukumbi 
on  August  1st,  and  next  day  reached  the  end  of  the 
^reek,  where  he  met  Mr.  Gordon,  who  left  by  the 
Eleanor  for  Uganda  on  August  loth.  Mr.  Mackay 
is  now  waiting  at  Msalala  till  I  shall  get  up  there, 
"  (Signed)       Henry  P.  PARKER,  Bishop" 


REMEDIES  SUGGESTED. 


*•  A  mutual  understanding  can  surely  be  quietly  agreed  to  b> 
tween  Germany  and  England.  This  Lake  and  the  Albert  are 
sure  to  find  themselves,  sooner  or  later,  under  the  beneficent 
protection  of  Victoria.  Let  Von  Bismarck  extend  his  operations 
right  across  from  Dar  es  Salaam  to  Unyanyembe  and  Tangan- 
yika, and  south  to  Nyassa,  if  he  likes  ;  England  will  have  enouL,'!) 
to  do  at  the  sources  of  the  Nile  and  in  the  equatorial  Soudan." 
— A.  M.  Mac/cay,  Uganda,  March  2,th,  1887. 

" '  To  be,  or  not  to  be ;  that  is  the  question.'  Is  it  to  be  a 
track  to  the  Lake  or  not  ?  I  see  in  you  the  only  hope  for  this 
region,  in  your  getting  Sir  Wm  Mackinnon  to  see  the  matter 
in  its  true  light.  I  would  not  give  sixpence  for  all  the  Company 
will  do  in  half  a  century  to  come,  unless  they  join  the  Lake 
with  the  coast  by  a  Hne,  let  it  be  at  first  ever  so  rough.  When 
they  have  got  that,  they  will  have  broken  the  backljone  of 
native  cantankerousness." — Last  letter  from  Mackay  to  Dr. 
H.  M.  Stanley,   Usambiro.  Jan.  ^th,  1890. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

REMEDIES    SUGGESTED. 

AFTER  the  mutilations  and  burnings  of  many  of 
their  converts,  it  was  the  intention  of  Mackay 
and  Ashe  that  the  one  of  them  who  might  be  allowed 
to  leave  Uganda  should  proceed  with  all  speed  to 
England,  and  use  all  possible  means  to  rouse  the 
C.M.S.  Committee  and  the  Churches  of  England,  and 
through  them,  the  Government,  to  take  some  effectual 
steps  to  curb  the  cruel  violence  of  Mwanga,  and 
secure  liberty  of  Christian  teaching  and  worship  in 
the  land.  They  did  not  desire  the  violent  interven- 
tion of  arms,  but  they  were  convinced  that  means 
could  be  used  which  would  sufficiently  appeal  to  the 
instincts  of  self-preservation  and  self-interest  which 
Africans  in  common  with  all  men  have,  so  that 
Christian  teachers  should  no  longer  be  oppressed 
and  hindered  in  their  work,  and  their  converts  sub- 
jected to  cruel  torture  and  death. 

When  Ashe  arrived  in  England,  Mackay  wrote  to 
him  to  brace  him  up  for  his  work,  freely  explaining 
what,  in  his  opinion,  needed  to  be  done,  and  the  best 
way  to  set  about  it. 

In    these     suggested     remedies     Mackay's    large- 

34X 


342  REMEDIES  SUGGESTED. 

minded ncss,  and  full  knowledge  of  the  problem  to 
be  solved,  anticipated,  and  doubtless  have  assi>ted 
the  arrangements  just  announced  as  being  agreed  to 
between  the  Governments  of  England  and  Germany, 
and  some  of  the  best  provisions  recently  embodied 
in  the  charters  of  the  Imperial  British  East  Africa 
Company  and  the  South  African  Company.  He 
saw  that  the  prohibition  of  arms  and  ammunition 
and  ardent  spirits  as  articles  of  common  trade  and 
barter  to  the  natives  would  be  not  only  a  great  safe- 
guard of  the  morals  of  the  natives,  but  would  greatly 
augment  general  trade  in  miscellaneous  articles  of 
European  manufacture. 

Mackay  has  been  accused  of  interfering  in  African 
politics,  and  advocating  armed  intervention  in  the 
interests  of  religion  ;  but  there  is  no  justification  for 
this  charge.  The  force  he  advocated  was  the  kind  of 
pressure  which  you  can  bring  to  bear  upon  a  man 
when  he  sees  it  more  to  his  interest  to  be  gentle  than 
to  be  cruel,  to  be  just  rather  than  unjust.  He  held 
it  to  be  the  duty  of  our  Consuls  on  the  coast  to  use 
all  the  means  within  their  power  to  secure  the  per- 
sonal safety  of  traders  and  missionaries,  and  of  the 
home  Government  by  legislation,  backed,  if  neces- 
sary, by  force,  to  prevent  such  trading  as  directly 
hindered  the  work  of  Christianity  and  civilization.^ 

*  "Yet  the  Heavens  forbid 
That  we  should  call  on  passion  to  confront 

The  brutal  with  the  brutal  and,  amid 
This  ripening  world,  suggest  a  lion-hunt 


LETTER   TO  ASHE.  343 

He,  however,  anticipated  that  Ashe  would  find 
great  difficulties  in  his  work,  and  he  begins  his  letter 
by  reminding  him  of  the  ultimate  Source  of  strength 
and  success,  from  whom  all  inspiration  for  great 
enterprises  must  come. 

"Natete,  Uganda, 

''March  Zth,  1887. 
"...  Your  journey  has  already  been  of  great 
value — correcting  mistaken  notions  of  men  all  along 
the  route.  I  devoutly  trust  that  you  will  be  used  of 
the  Master  for  similar  success  among  the  lethargic 
friends  of  Africa  in  Europe.  I  do  not  say  that  we 
hope  to  make  an  impression  on  100,000,000  semi-self- 
satisfied  Christians  in  Europe,  but  we  believe  that 
God  will.  Moreover,  He  will  do  so  by  human  agency, 
and  no  other.  Such  seems  to  have  been  His  law 
hitherto,  and  we  have  no  warrant  to  look  for  a  devi- 
ation from  that  law  to  suit  our  case.  As  you  say 
truly,  '  if  we  keep  humble  at  His  feet,'  He  will  grant 
us  success,  in  spite  of  the  terrible  inertia  of  heavy 
masses  at  home.  *  At  my  first  defence  no  man  stood 
by  me,  but  all  forsook  me ;  but  the  Lord  stood  by 

And  lions'-vengeance  for  the  wrongs  men  did 
And  do  now,  though  the  spears  are  getting  blunt. 

We  only  call,  because  the  sight  and  proof 
Of  lion-strength  hurts  nothing  ;  and  to  show 

A  lion-heart,  and  measure  paw  with  hoof, 
Helps  something,  even,  and  will  instruct  a  foe 

As  well  as  the  onslaught,  how  to  stand  aloof." 

— Casa  Guidi  Windows. 


344  REMEDIES  SUGGESTED. 

me  and  strengthened  me.'  Such  I  expect  to  hear 
from  you  in  your  first  letter  from  England.  But 
defeat  and  callousness  must  not  discourage  us. 
Success  is  certain  in  the  end.  The  right  never  did 
succeed  but  slowly  and  by  reverses.  A  true  cause 
must  run  on,  as  rivers  to  the  sea.  Persevere  and 
agitate.  Vital  measures  have  ever  been  carried  by 
steadiness  of  purpose,  seldom  by  dash,  or  by  a  clever 
piece  of  strategy. 

"To  relieve  men  from  the  wrongs  under  which 
they  perish,  to  secure  freedom  for  the  oppressed,  yet 
not  by  Blut  tind  Eisen,  is  a  crux  indeed  for  statesman- 
ship. We  want  not  so  much  an  *  arm  of  flesh,'  but 
heads  of  wisdom,  human  hearts,  and  helping  hands. 
There  is  no  need  for  gunpowder.  That  remedy  is 
even  worse  than  the  disease. 

"  The  rotten,  mortifying  state  of  this  continent  can- 
not be  healed  by  more  lacerations  and  wounds.  A 
transfusion  of  fresh  blood,  and  new  life  into  it,  not  in 
miserable  driblets  as  hitherto,  but  in  a  full  stream, 
will  alone  save  it  from  utter  corruption. 

"  This  African  problem  must  be  solved,  and  in 
God's  name  it  shall  be  solved,  for  God  means  it  to 
be  solved.  It  is  not  for  the  sake  of  the  few  scattered 
and  despised  missionaries  that  we  are  determined 
that  this  end  shall  be  attained,  but  for  the  sake  of 
Africa  itself. 

"Brutality  and  murder  must  cease  in  God's  uni- 
verse ;  for  the  universe  is  God's,  not  the  devil's.  It  is 
not  enough  that  ages  hence  some  power  step  in  to 


APATHY  OF   THE  PUBLIC.  345 

redress  the  ever-growing  enormity  of  the  crimes 
committed  ;  for  the  countless  victims  of  cruelty  that 
will  be  too  late.  Now  or  never  must  serious  efforts 
be  made  for  the  prevention,  and  not  the  punishment, 
of  offences  against  the  very  name  of  humanity.  That 
may  be  jeered  at  by  some  as  attainable  only  in  the 
millennial  reign  ;  but  it  is  for  the  millennium  that  we 
are  striving  and  working.  That  is  the  consummation 
for  the  age  of  Missions. 

"  Do  not  be  downhearted  if  you  find  apathy  on 
every  side,  especially  on  the  part  of  our  committee. 
Great  masses  are  hard  to  set  in  motion  ?  but  when 
once  they  do  begin  to  move,  even  the  devil  will  find 
it  hard  to  stop  them.  We  must  have  faith  that  will 
remove  mountains — mountains  of  prejudice  and  plati- 
tudes. But  even  mountains  are  made  up  of  molecules, 
and  we  have  no  less  than  Divine  warrant  for  know- 
ing that  every  mountain  and  hill  shall  be  brought 
low. 

"  It  is  not  a  century  since  even  a  conclave  of  clergy 
said  that  Missions  to  heathen  were  highly  preposter- 
ous, and  a  gigantic  impracticability.  Even  as  late  as 
a  dozen  years  ago,  when  bidding  adieu  to  some  pious 
Christian  friends  in  Edinburgh,  a  good  lady  said  to 
me  that  I  was  embarking  on  a  futile  enterprise  ;  for  if 
God  meant  the  heathen  to  be  converted,  He  would 
do  it  without  the  help  of  man  ! 

"  Yet,  strange  to  say,  it  is  the  very  men  who  deride 
such  unbelieving  views  as  now  exploded  who  are  pre- 
pared to  meet  us  with  exactly  similar  truisms  when 


346  REMEDIES  SUGGESTED. 

we  try  to  raise  our  voice  against  the  mightiest  wrongs 
under  which  the  world  has  ever  suffered. 

"Submission  to  the  will  of  God?  Yes.  Submis- 
sion to  the  will  of  man,  and  to  the  will  of  the  devil? 
Yes,  also;  but  noX.  for  ever.  Our  Saviour  presented 
Himself  as  a  target  for  all  the  fiendish  darts  of  His 
enemies,  and  of  even  the  great  enemy,  but  only  that 
they  might  spend  their  force,  and  He  should  triumph. 

"  The  Son  of  God  was  manifested  to  destroy  the 
works  of  the  devil,  not  to  let  them  alone  in  full  swing. 
If  we  are  to  follow  in  His  blessed  footsteps,  we  must 
deny  our  natural  inclination  to  let  things  alone  to 
take  their  course,  and  must  sacrifice  ourselves  for  the 
well-being  of  our  fellow-men — our  ungrateful,  unpro- 
mising, suspicious  fellow-men.  His  love  was  to  the 
unloving  and  the  unlovable.  Ours  must  be  so  too. 
Whatever  the  end  to  ourselves  may  be,  we  must  go 
dauntlessly  to  work  to  save  men  from  the  devil  and 
from  themselves.  We  surrender  ourselves  to  the  will 
of  God,  to  do  His  will,  and  to  take  with  patience 
what  He  sends  us  when  in  the  doing  of  it.  But  we 
know  that  His  will  is  salvation,  not  destruction  ;  life, 
not  death;  peace,  not  war;  joy,  not  sorrow.  But  we 
must  wade,  I  fear,  through  much  sorrow  before  we 
come  to  the  joy  of  seeing  an  end  to  the  reign  of  sin 
and  Satan, 

"  Much  is  made,  in  these  days,  of  Medical  Missions. 
All  our  Mission  work  must  be  medical  in  the  highest 
sense.  Good  Dr.  Smith  used  to  remind  me  that 
medicine  does  not  cure — it  only  helps  nature  to  effect 


NO  TINKERING  AND  PATCHING.  347 

recovery.  This  is  wonderfully  true,  and  you  may 
follow  the  thought  into  the  depths  of  therapeutics — it 
holds  good  throughout.  We  must  follow  this  analogy 
in  our  work  for  Africa.  We  cannot  cure  its  ills  by 
any  application,  internal  or  external  ;  but  we  can 
strive  to  remove  the  present  dead  weight  of  oppres- 
sion lying  on  its  heart,  and  allow  pulses  of  fresh 
blood  to  flow  through  its  entire  system, 

"  This  is  very  different  from  the  consular  methods, 
which  are  only  a  species  of  tinkering  and  patching. 
It  is  no  cure  for  a  deep-seated  abscess  merely  to  plug 
up  the  mouth  of  the  wound  by  which  the  fetid  pus 
finds  an  exit.  Yet  that  is  exactly  what  has  been  the 
English  system  hitherto  !  It  looks  incredible,  but  it 
is  true.  Your  letters  to  the  Spectator  and  to  the  Anti- 
Slavery  Society  most  truly  expose  the  prevalent 
fallacy.  The  horrid,  chronic  bloodshed  and  cruelty, 
practised  in  inner  Africa,  cannot  be  ended  by  gun- 
boats catching  prizes  on  the  ocean.  What  is  that 
but  plugging  up  the  aperture  that  the  pus  may  find 
no  exit,  while  all  the  time  we  are  destroying  the 
blood  by  daily  administering  a  deadly  poison — arms 
and  ammunition — support  and  countenance  to  Tipu 
Tip,  Mwanga,  and  other  butchers  of  our  black 
brothers }  The  rights  of  poor  men,  who  wish  to 
live  lives  of  peace,  are  more  divine  than  are  the 
rights  of  royal  robbers  and  murderers.  Why,  if  a 
king  in  Europe  were  to  do  once  only  what  is  done 
here  daily,  he  would  not  long  wear  either  a  crown  or 
a  head  to  put  it  on. 


348  REMEDIES  SUGGESTED. 

"The  history  of  Europe  has  been  a  history  of 
struggles  to  be  free  from  injustice  and  tyranny.  Too 
frequently  hasty  and  ill-considered  measures  were 
adopted,  and  appeals  to  arms  ended  in  slaughter. 
The  marvel  is  that  freedom  was  ever  gained  any- 
where, considering  the  subject  state  of  the  oppressed, 
and  the  power  and  influence  of  the  oppressors.  Hol- 
land and  Switzerland,  Italy  and  Scotland,  and  many 
more  downtrodden  States,  are  free  to-day,  because 
they  refused  to  accept  as  impracticable  all  attempts 
to  gain  their  freedom.  Submission  to  injustice  is 
right  within  limits,  but  it  shall  not  be  for  ever.  My 
poor  forefathers  were  shot  like  partridges  on  the 
moors  of  Scotland,  because  they  claimed  the  right 
to  worship  God  as  their  conscience  led  them  ;  and, 
strange  to  say,  it  was  a  rampant  ecclesiasticism 
which  prompted  the  persecution.  I  do  not  defend 
the  Covenanters  in  their  methods  of  resistance.  The 
times  were  wild,  and  no  hand  to  help,  and  much 
allowance  should  be  made  for  desperate  provocation 
and  bloody  treatment.  But  few  men  can  enter  into 
the  heart  of  a  Covenanter  unless  his  blood  is  in  their 
veins,  or  unless  they  themselves  are  brought  face  to 
face  with  the  re-enacted  horrors  of  the  past.  Our 
methods  to-day  are  not  by  brute  force  or  by  blood. 
Negotiation,  measures  of  wisdom  and  prudence, 
peaceful  enterprise,  determined  effort,  friendly  co- 
operation— such  measures  as  those  will  help  mightily 
to  prepare  the  way  for  the  entrance  of  the  gospel  into 
the  remotest  corners  of  the  continent.     Now,  I  guess 


A  DEFINITE  SCHEME.  349 

you  will  find  it  terribly  up-hill  work  to  rouse  the 
public  from  lethargy.  Public  opinion  must  wait, 
unless  concentrated  and  guided  by  one  or  two  lead- 
ing minds.  You  are  in  the  midst  of  counsellors  of 
wisdom.  Try,  therefore,  to  set  some  definite  scheme 
in  black  and  white,  that  people  may  know  what  they 
are  expected  to  support,  and  the  chances  of  success. 
If  you  have  got  the  letters  I  wrote  you  in  September 
and  December,  with  copy  of  Emin's  letter  to  me,  you 
will  see  some  hints  that  may  be  useful.  Let  the 
powers  of  Europe  divide  the  interior  between  them, 
i.e.,  from  the  lakes  to  the  coast,  not  for  annexation, 
but  for  friendly  negotiation  with  the  natives,  and 
peaceful  supervision.  I  mention  this  on  the  assump- 
tion that  they  will  act  togetJier,  and  already  I  hear 
of  their  parcelling  out  the  coast  between  them,  on 
the  principle  of  non-interference  with  each  other. 
The  work  will  prove  vastly  easier  than  the  timorous 
anticipate. 

"The  great  hold  that  foreigners  have  inland  is  the 
supply  matter.  Where  such  potentates  as  this  one 
prove  intractable,  you  need  no  force  against  him — 
simply  stop  supply  of  arms  and  ammunition,  and  in 
more  severe  cases,  calico  also.  His  people  will  soon 
compel  him  to  yield.  There  need  be  no  question  as 
to  that. 

"  Then  let  Emin  have  British  protection  and  gene- 
rous aid,  until  he  establishes  himself  firmly.  When 
once  he  is  recognised  as  not  one  of  the  powers,  but  as 
the  power  in  Central  Africa,  we  shall  have  peace,  and 


350  REMEDIES  SUGGESTED. 

an  end  to  the  pretensions  of  such  creatures  as  rule 
here.  Something  tangible,  visible,  and  near  at  hand 
is  absolutely  essential  to  command  respect  and  obedi- 
ence, and  that,  too,  by  mere  prestige,  not  by  any 
extraordinary  measures. 

"  Each  power,  within  the  limits  of  its  own  super- 
vision, will  have  a  monopoly  of  trade  and  other 
means  of  investing  and  developing  capital.  There 
need  be  no  trouble  about  boundaries.  Already  the 
land  is  divided  into  two  episcopal  dioceses.  A  simi- 
lar mutual  understanding  can  surely  be  quietly 
agreed  to  by  Germany  and  England.  This  lake 
and  the  Albert  are  sure  to  find  themselves,  sooner 
or  later,  under  the  beneficent  protection  of  Victoria. 
Let  Von  Bismarck  extend  his  operations  right  across 
from  Dar  es  Salaam  to  Unyanyeinbe  and  Tangan- 
yika, and  south  to  Nyassa  if  he  likes ;  England  will 
have  enough  to  do  at  the  sources  of  the  Nile  and  in 
the  equatorial  Soudan.  I  have  merely  indicated  in 
outline  what  might  be  developed  into  a  definite 
scheme,  with  peaceful  ends  and  countless  blessings 
to  this  unhappy  interior.  The  blessing  of  God  be 
upon  every  man  who  furthers  it,  or  any  other  better 
scheme !  " 

Mackay's  position  in  Uganda  at  this  time  was 
exceedingly  painful.  He  was  constantly  suspected 
by  the  chiefs  and  by  Mwanga  of  having  other  pur- 
poses than  those  of  teaching — ^in  fact,  of  some  secret 
understanding  with  the  Government   of  England  to 


HOLDS  ON.  351 


obtain  possession  of  the  country.  He  was  not 
sufl'ered  to  go  about,  but  was  jealously  watched. 
Again  and  again  he  was  in  personal  danger,  and 
plots  were  laid  to  destroy  him,  yet  he  makes  no 
attempt  to  escape,  but  occupies  himself  with  the 
most  varied  kinds  of  work  —  erects  an  enormous 
flag-staff  for  Mwanga,  translates  Scriptures,  freely 
uses  the  printing  press,  interests  himself  on  behalf 
of  Emin,  and  especially  tries  to  overcome  Mwanga's 
fears,  so  as  to  allow  free  communication  with  Emin, 
and,  above  all,  receives  great  numbers  of  readers  who 
come  to  him  by  stealth,  notwithstanding  the  edict 
which  declared  the  penalty  of  death  against  all  who 
dared  go  to  the  Mission  premises  for  instruction. 
The  letter  continues  : — 

"  I  have  not  the  slightest  desire  to  *  escape,'  if  I 
can  do  a  particle  of  good  by  staying.  Your  and  my 
desire,  and,  I  believe,  the  desire  of  all  our  friends,  is 
that  the  Lord  will  open  the  way  for  the  Mission  to 
be  kept  on,  not  abandoned.  The  Eleanor  is  in  port, 
some  twelve  miles  off,  and  possibly  I  might  make  a 
dash  for  it ;  but  what  then  ?  I  do  not  at  present  see 
that  I  am  warranted  in  seeking  to  do  so.  Anything 
may  happen  at  any  moment,  and  it  may  be  that  I 
shall  be  led  to  adopt  such  a  course  ;  but  hitherto  I 
believe  I  am  doing  right  in  quietly  going  on  with  the 
work.  My  earnest  heart-v/ish  is  simply  to  cast  my- 
self on  the  Master,  and  say,  'Thy  will  be  done!* 
What  can  I   or  the  Mission  gain  by  trying  to  resist 


352  REMEDIES  SUGGESTED. 

His  will  ?  My  own  choice  is  to  stay — that  is,  if  choice 
were  given  me  at  all.  Not  that  we  are  in  any  favour- 
able state  at  present  ;  on  the  contrary,  as  I  hope  to 
tell  you  farther  on,  I  am  in  no  small  odium  at  present 
with  his  majesty.  Nor  do  I  labour  under  any  con- 
ceited notion  that  my  presence  is  essential  to  the 
work.  Well  I  know  that  the  Lord  will  carry  on  His 
work  whether  the  workman  be  alive  or  buried.  I 
only  wait  for  more  light  before  I  take  any  rash  step. 
I  know,  too,  that  I  have  a  prominent  place  in  the 
prayers  of  all  of  you,  that  our  people  and  myself  may 
be  not  only  preserved,  but  guided  also.  I  have  been 
making  an  effort  to  complete  St.  Matthew.  My  best 
version  of  the  remaining  chapters  was  unsatisfactory. 
However,  I  got  Duta  back  from  Budu,  and  with 
Bartolomayo,  Luka,  Andrea,  and  others,  we  have 
gone  steadily  to  work,  and  now  we  have,  by  God's 
grace,  rewritten  the  whole  to  the  end.  I  thought 
this  more  immediately  important  than  jogging  on  as 
I  had  been  doing,  setting  up  sheet  by  sheet  ;  as,  in 
case  of  sudden  expulsion,  the  MSS.  may  be  saved, 
and  the  mere  printing  can  be  done  elsewhere.  Actu- 
ally in  type  I  have  at  this  moment  only  as  far  as  the 
twenty-third  chapter.  But  now,  if  the  Lord  will,  I 
hope  to  go  steadily  on  with  the  remaining  sheets. 
You  know  well  the  terrible  number  of  constant  inter- 
ruptions here,  which  prevent  one  from  ever  getting 
one  hour  steady  at  anything. 

"  Now  I  must  try  to  give  you  a  rhumi  of  events 
here  since  I  wrote  you  last,  which  was  at  the  New 


ERECTS   THE  KING'S  MAST.  353 

Year.  I  have  kept  no  proper  journal,  and  must  draw 
from  memory  chiefly.  By  the  end  of  the  second 
week  of  January  I  got  all  the  beams  and  logs  ready 
for  the  frame  to  support  the  king's  mast,  and  'all 
Uganda'  arrived  to  carry  them  to  Mengo.  Then 
the  work  of  erection  commenced,  and  my  only  car- 
penter being  laid  up  half  the  time,  I  had  to  struggle 
on  with  the  natives  alone.  1  erected  a  stout  scaffold- 
ing, used  pulleys  and  rope,  and  swung  the  heavy 
struts  into  position  with  few  hands.  When  I  had 
the  pyramid  erected  and  securely  braced  together,  I 
cut  away  all  Toll's  slender  bracing,  applied  wedges, 
and  raised  the  mast  to  a  truly  vertical  position.  To 
convince  the  unbelieving  public,  I  slacked  off  all  the 
hawsers,  which  up  till  then  were  the  only  thing  which 
kept  the  huge  tree  from  falling.  The  work  was 
finished  by  the  end  of  January,  and  even  Toll,  who 
had  daily  prophesied  failure,  was  obliged  to  confess 
that  'all  Uganda'  could  not  now  knock  the  mast 
down.  All  were  pleased,  and  even  his  majesty,  I 
believe,  went  with  the  Katikiro  to  inspect  the  work, 
and  was  delighted  ;  but  to  me  he  sent  no  word  of 
thanks  nor  even  a  cow's  tail,  except  that  when  the 
work  was  in  progress  he  gave  me  a  couple  of  goats 
and  some  cowries  and  mivenge. 

"  I  made  up  my  mind  to  have  a  rest,  and  push  on 
with  printing,  but  next  day  he  sent  down  a  rifle  for 
repair,  which  I  refused  to  look  at,  and  returned  with 
a  flat  refusal.  The  plague  was  very  prevalent — 
Kisule's  boys  were   dying,  and   he  himself  had  fled 

A.  M.  M.  23 


354  REMEDIES  SUGGESTED. 

from  his  own  quarters.  I  believe  that  Lourdel 
ultimately  got  the  rifle  to  mend. 

"About  the  middle  of  January,  Mohammed  Biri 
returned  from  Wadelai  with  Emin's  ivory,  and  very 
much  more  of  his  own  and  of  his  Arab  chums. 
After  so  many  days'  exposure  to  the  sun,  I  had  fever 
off  and  on  for  a  week. 

"Kauta  (cook),  a  strong  enemy  to  Christianity,  was 
sent  to  rob  and  nyaga  the  island  of  Busi,  on  the 
pretext  that  two  years  ago  the  natives  had  speared 
one  of  the  king's  servants  (who  had  been  stealing  the 
people's  goats)  on  the  expedition  to  Nkanaga.  This 
fellow  returned  with  much  booty,  having  slain  almost 
every  man  he  found,  and  captured  the  women, 
children,  and  cattle.  The  island  belongs  to  Gabunga, 
and  he  had  to  ferry  the  murderers  to  it,  besides 
having  to  pay  a  heavy  indemnity  on  the  plea  that 
he  had  sheltered  the  runaways  from  the  slaughter. 

"Toward  the  end  of  the  year,  Kibare  went  on  a 
raid  against  some  of  the  Baima,  on  the  borders  of 
Busagara  ;  but  the  cowherds  got  notice  in  time,  and 
fled  to  Busagara  with  all  their  herds.  Last  month, 
again,  Kitunzi  led  a  large  force  in  the  same  direction, 
to  attack  certain  Basagala  who  were  reported  to  have 
been  feeding  their  huge  herds  on  the  border.  But 
he,  like  Kibare,  returned  empty-handed,  the  natives 
having  again  got  word  just  in  time.  I  believe  a 
skirmish  took  place,  in  which  the  Baganda  did  not 
have  the  best  of  it. 

"  I  told  you,  I  think,  in  my  last,  that  a  deputation 


A    TRAP   FOR    THE    CONVERTS.  ,555 

from  Unyoro  had  arrived,  and  after  receiving  an 
hour  of  threats  and  insults  to  their  king,  in  open 
court,  were  sent  back  to  fetch  tribute  of  ivory,  etc. 
Emin  writes  me  that,  on  my  advice,  he  had  got 
Casati  to  persuade  Kabarega  to  collect  tribute,  Dr. 
Eniin  supplying  part  of  the  ivory.  This  will  doubt- 
less come  soon.  Meantime,  the  Arabs  have  been 
permitted  to  send  barter  goods  (only)  to  Unyoro,  but 
two  of  themselves  who  went  were  turned  back  on 
the  border.  Poor  Casati  had  a  deal  of  trouble.  For 
some  time  he  was  not  allowed  to  purchase  any  of 
the  goods  of  the  Arabs,  but  the  latest  report  is,  that, 
after  he  made  a  great  row,  he  got  permission. 

"  House-breaking  and  stealing  has  been  in  vogue, 
and  our  arch-enemy,  Mujasi,  had  his  store  broken 
into  and  all  his  gunpowder  taken.  Our  little  king 
was  afraid  that  his  person  would  be  stolen  next, 
hence  he  sent  to  ask  me  politely  (for  a  wonder)  if  I 
would  make  him  a  door  and  strong  lock  for  his 
powder  store.  I  agreed  to  do  so,  after  the  mast  was 
finished,  and  I  have  had  wood  cut  for  the  purpose  ; 
but  my  poor  carpenter  is  ill  again,  so  that  it  will  be 
some  time  before  that  job  is  off  my  hands. 

"  About  the  time  of  my  last  letter  to  you,  Musisi 
Mutuba  was  taken  out  of  durance  and  given  a  post 
among  the  Basalosalo.  Another  prisoner  (Kiwanuka) 
was  also  liberated.  His  majesty  also  gave  out  that 
those  in  hiding  might  come  back.  Some  of  those 
who  were  pupils  of  the  Roman  Catholics  thought  to 
venture,  and   one  of  them,   named  Jamari,  reported 


3S6  REMEDIES  SUGGESTED. 

himself.  He  was  asked  to  go  and  find  his  chums, 
and  bring  them  to  the  Katikiro,  who  would  find  them 
wives  and  place  them  among  the  Basalosalo.  The 
lad  went  about  for  a  day  or  two,  looking  for  the 
others,  but  none  would  venture ;  so  he  returned  to 
the  Katikiro's,  and  was  taken  in,  but  has  never  more 
been  seen.  Kisule  has  made  diligent  inquiries,  and 
heard  from  some  of  the  boys  at  that  worthy's  place 
that  Jamari  was  recently  murdered  and  thrown  into 
a  hole  in  the  Muga,  at  the  foot  of  the  Katikiro's  enclo- 
sure. It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  others  are  not 
inclined  to  show  face  now.  Apparently  it  was  a  trap 
to  catch  and  murder  them  all. 

"  Lourdel  has  been  ill  repeatedly  ;  first  lumbago, 
then  neuralgia,  and  lastly  rheumatism.  He  and 
Denoit  came  to  see  me  soon  after  the  New  Year,  and 
since  then  I  have  paid  them  a  visit.  The  Katikiro 
sent  for  me  to  doctor  his  head-wife  (Kaluja),  who 
had  dreadful  eyes.  I  went  to  see  him,  and  gave  the 
woman  medicine,  which  has  been  effective.  I  refused 
to  repair  a  huge  eight-bore  rifle  he  got  from  Emin, 
but  promised  to  write  to  Dr.  Emin  for  the  missing 
piece.  I  wished  a  chance  of  sending  newspapers,  etc., 
to  Emin,  and  now  I  shall  try  to  get  a  viitbaka.  Dr. 
Emin  wishes  to  have  a  monthly  mail  to  here,  but  I 
do  not  care  to  take  any  steps  without  direction, 
having  frequently  of  late  availed  myself  of  the  Arabs' 
men  going  to  Unyoro.  A  few  days  after  the  last 
mail  came  from  Msalala,  I  was  able  to  send  word  to 
Emin  of  Stanley's  proposed  expedition. 


A    GREAT  FIRE.  357 


"  The  boat  was  some  seven  weeks  away  on  this  trip, 
and  you  may  well  guess  that  I  almost  despaired  of 
its  return,  fancying  that  it  was  lost.  At  length,  on 
Feb.  20th,  a  man  arrived  from  Ntebe,  reporting  that 
he  had  come  in  canoes  with  Wadi  Muftaha  (Stokes' 
head-man),  who  was  bringing  some  goods  for  barter. 
He  relieved  my  mind  by  reporting  having  seen  the 
boat  at  Ukumbi.  Two  days  later  (Feb.  22nd)  the 
king's  palace  was  burnt  to  the  ground  at  mid-day. 
The  fire  commenced  away  among  the  women's 
houses,  and  spread  upwards.  Fortunately  he  had 
most  of  his  goods  in  new  stores  down  near  the  pond, 
and  the  fire  did  not  go  that  way,  while  he  had  time 
to  save  all  the  goods  in  the  upper  stores.  All  the 
grand  new  houses  and  fences,  with  the  great  baraza 
nkiiluze  and  the  newly  finished  mtizibu  (big  house 
of  the  Kadulubare),  perished.  Mwanga  fled  to  the 
Katikiro's,  but  the  wind  was  blowing  in  that  direction, 
and  the  sparks  caught  the  houses  there  also,  although 
so  far  off.  The  Katikiro's  men  were  all  at  the  king's 
fire,  so  that  not  a  man  was  about  to  rescue  his  pro- 
perty. Most  of  his  amassed  bintu  seems  to  have  been 
burnt,  and  scarcely  a  hut  left  The  king  fled  from 
there  to  Wakibi's,  and  finally  put  up  at  Kyimbugwe's 
'  It  is  an  ill-wind  that  blows  nobody  good.'  One  of 
our  lads — long  Musisi  (Wekisa) — was  in  the  stocks  at 
Serutis  for  some  misdemeanour.  During  the  excite- 
ment of  the  conflagration  he  effected  his  escape,  and 
turned  up  here.  He  had  been  condemned  to  death, 
but  was  in  hopes  of  getting  off  with  a  heavy  fine. 


3S8  REMEDIES  SUGGESTED. 

"  If  I  remember  well,  it  was  in  the  same  month  of 
February  last  year  that  Mengo  was  burnt.  The  re- 
building is  going  ahead.  The  great  mast  did  not 
escape,  being  surrounded  by  the  huge  straw  piles  of 
houses,  and  was  burnt  to  ashes.  So  all  my  labour  is 
gone,  but  not  lost.  I  believe  the  work  has  been  of 
advantage  to  the  Mission,  in  the  way  of  showing 
friendship  and  readiness  to  help.  I  do  not  believe 
our  work  suffers  by  being  able  to  supply  a  little  skill 
in  construction  occasionally.  The  works  of  God  are 
all  wonderful,  and  I  do  not  believe  that  a  Christian's 
workmanship  should  be  inferior  to  a  heathen's.  I 
have  not  yet  received  any  intimation  regarding  a  new 
flag-staff,  except  that  I  hear,  privately.  King  Mwanga 
has  said  that  he  will  not  have  another  mast  erected 
by  any  one  except  the  Muzungu.  I  have  no  wish  to 
spend  time  over  such  baubles  ;  but  when  work  of  the 
kind  helps,  in  ever  so  small  a  degree,  to  remove 
prejudice  and  promote  good  feeling  towards  the 
Mission,  I  do  not  regard  the  time  as  lost.  All  our 
feeble  powers  can  be  turned  to  account  in  the 
Master's  work. 

"  The  morning  after  the  fire  (23rd),  I  went  to  pay 
my  respects  to  royalty,  taking  a  jorah  of  bitfta  (the 
only  one  I  had),  and  had  an  interview  along  with  the 
Arabs,  who  likewise  took  similar  gifts,  according  to 
their  ability.  I  told  his  majesty  that  if  we  laid  our 
heads  together,  we  would  contrive  to  construct  his 
fireplaces  so  that  fire  would  cease  to  be  a  master, 
and  be  only  a  servant.     Probably  enough,  however,  he 


PALAVER    WITH  THE  ARABS.  359 

will  not  care  to  take  my  advice,  being  dreadfully 
afraid  of  my  bewitching  him  if  I  interfere  with  his 
hearths.  If  he  rejects  the  offer,  he  will  be  only  so 
much  the  loser,  as  he  has  been,  in  fact,  all  along, 
owing  to  his  silly  suspicions. 

"  When  in  audience,  Nantinda  arrived,  reporting 
that  the  Eleanor  had  come,  and  that  Filipo  had  been 
drowned.  Many  questions  were  asked  him  regarding 
the  number  of  white  men  South.  Then  a  tedious 
palaver  with  the  Arabs,  the  king  questioning  them  as 
to  who  could  read  best.  I  interposed  that  seeing  we 
were  all  Baganda  here,  and  not  subjects  of  either 
Zanzibar  or  Muscat,  it  were  best  that  we  should 
read  Luganda  instead  of  Arabic.  '  I  read  Luganda,' 
I  said,  '  because  it  is  the  language  of  the  king,  and 
there  I  am  his  subject ;  while  if  I  were  in  Muscat 
I  would  learn  to  speak  and  read  Arabic'  Ali  Bin 
Sultan  asked  if  he  was  not  one  of  Mwanga's  people  } 
I  replied  that  when  he  got  all  his  ivory,  he  would  be 
out  of  Uganda  as  soon  as  he  could.  This  caused 
some  merriment ;  but  the  Arab  would  not  be  out- 
done. '  I  am  more  of  a  Muganda  than  you,'  said 
he  ;  '  my  wives  are  all  Baganda.'  *  But  you  do  not 
teach  them  to  read  Arabic,'  I  replied.  '  Women 
in  your  eyes  have  no  souls,  and  are  only  chattels, 
while  we  teach  women  as  well  as  men.'  This  quieted 
him,  Kauta  alone  replying  that  probably  we  trans- 
lated for  them.  Kauta  is  a  great  patron  of  the 
Arab's  creed,  which  is  fashionable  just  now,  but  as 
usual  inclined  to  be  cruelly  so.     King  Mwanga  has  of 


36o  REMEDIES  SUGGESTED. 

late  been  coquetting  with  the  Koran,  and  talking  of 
slaying  every  one  who  refuses  to  read  it.  In  fact,  he 
and  all  the  Arabs  were  engaged  in  perusing  it  when 
the  fire  broke  out.  Of  course  there  was  a  general 
stampede.  Most  probably  Mwanga  finds  his  new- 
fangled notion  a  brand  wherewith  to  burn  the  Chris- 
tians. He  had  sent  for  Musalosalo  to  compel  him  to 
read  the  Koran  just  before  the  fire.  I  hear  that  since 
then  he  ordered  the  lad  to  read  it,  but  he  refused. 
To  this  Mwanga  replied  that  his  lads  who  read 
Kizungu  were  all  obstinate,  and  had  kyejo,  and 
compelled  him  to  be  for  ever  killing  them,  so  that 
people  would  call  him  a  madman  !  However,  I  have 
not  heard  more  of  that  matter,  except  that  all  our 
lads  are  very  uneasy  and  alarmed,  for  Mwanga  seems 
to  have  given  out  more  than  once  that  he  meant  to 
'  kill  very  many.'  In  this  difficulty  I  have  had  to 
advise  our  people.  My  advice  and  Lourdel's  are 
diametrically  opposite,  and  I  fully  believe  that  many 
good  Protestants  will  agree  with  him  rather  than 
with  me.  Lourdel  tells  his  pupils  to  refuse  to  look 
at  the  Koran,  or  to  read  it,  or  to  take  it  into  their 
hands.  Remember,  that  he  likewise  instructs  them 
to  refuse  to  look  at  a  gospel  or  any  book  of  ours. 
On  the  other  hand,  I  tell  our  people  that  the  king 
has  no  intention  of  becoming  a  Mohammedan,  for  all 
his  excesses  would  have  to  be  curbed  in  that  case, 
and  he  has  never  given  the  sligiitest  hint  of  intend- 
ing to  give  up  his  mayeinbe  or  his  bluing  or  anything 
else.     He  is  only  taking  up  a  toy,  to  throw  it  aside  in 


A   QUESTION  OF  CONSCIENCE.  361 

a  week  or  two's  time.  Reading  a  book  or  trying  to 
read  it — for  none  of  them  will  ever  understand  a  word 
of  it — is  by  no  means  adopting  the  religion  of  the 
book.  Every  one  who  reads  the  New  Testament  is 
not  necessarily  a  Christian,  nor  is  every  one  who 
reads  the  Koran  a  Mohammedan.  They  must  dis- 
tinguish between  mere  reading  and  religion.  Many 
Christians  read  the  Koran,  with  no  more  idea  of 
believing  it  than  believing  the  fable  of  'Wakaima 
and  Wakikere.'  Such  is  the  drift  of  my  argument, 
advising  them  at  the  same  time  to  have  nothing  to 
do  with  the  Koran  unless  summoned  before  the 
king  and  compelled  to  read,  which  is  only  a  me- 
chanical act,  and  is  far  removed  from  religion.  I 
advise  them  at  the  same  time  to  refuse  in  toto  to 
perform  Arabic  prayers  or  other  rites.  But  there  is 
not  much  likelihood,  meantime,  at  any  rate,  of  the 
matter  going  so  far;  and  may  the  good  Lord  prevent 
it !  While  there  is  no  need  of  stirring  up  a  perse- 
cution again,  when  the  matter  is  merely  one  of 
learning  an  alphabet,  and  haply  a  few  syllables. 
Lourdel  was  here  recently,  and  I  spoke  to  him.  He 
seemed  uncertain  in  mind  as  to  what  was  right,  and 
began  some  doctrines  of  puzzles,  like  their  infinitesi- 
mals of  Latria  and  Doulia.  I  asked  him  plainly, 
*  Did  you  never  read  any  of  the  Koran  } '  He  could 
not  say  *  No  ' ;  and  there  I  dropped  the  matter. 

"  Well,  I  know  that  some  will  condemn  me  as  hold- 
ing a  doctrine  of  expediency  ;  but  I  have  no  fear  of 
condemnation  from  men  of  liberal  minds  and  large 


;6i  REMEDIES  SUGGESTED. 


hearts,  whose  condemnation  I  should  be  sorry  to 
have,  while  the  others  would,  mo -e  than  likely, 
condemn  me  for  any  possible  view  that  ventured  to 
diiTer  a  hair's-breadth  from  their  own.  You  know 
the  old  saw,  '  My  doxy  is  orthodoxy,  any  other  doxy 
is  heterodoxy.'  Many  a  life  has  been  lost  in  this 
country  for  learning  no  more  than  our  alphabet  : 
should  more  lives  go  merely  for  declining  to  learn 
the  Arabic  alphabet  ?  Few,  very  few,  will  go  further; 
few  went  further  before,  when  it  was  strongly  in 
vogue,  and  no  Christianity  to  counteract  it.  Do  we 
not  ever  see  that  in  the  case  of  the  real  Mussulmans 
who  come  here,  the  most  unpromising  feature  about 
them  is  their  obstinacy  and  bigotry,  which  will  not 
allow  them  even  to  look  at  our  Gospel !  I  believe 
we  shall  gain  a  great  point  when  Christianity  ceases 
to  be  called  the  white  man's  religion.  The  foolish 
phrase,  '  Kusoma  Kizungu,'  creates  needless  sus- 
picion. I  am  ever  battling  with  it  among  our  own 
people,  and  trying  to  get  them  to  use  '  Soma 
Luganda '  instead.  When  will  they  learn  that  Chris- 
tianity is  cosmopolitan  and  not  Anglican  .■*  But  there 
is  so  much  in  our  ways  and  methods  that  strengthens 
the  idea  of  foreign  rule — English  7?ten,  English  church, 
English  formularies,  English  Bishop !  Nor  can  the 
evil  be  readily  rectified,  until  we  are  become  more 
prepared  to  look  on  Africa  as  our  Jionie,  or,  if  you 
like,  till  we  become  more  truly  identified  with  Africa 
than  heretofore.  Here,  too,  I  fear,  I  shall  be  con- 
strued wrongly.     But  I  allude  only  to  mental  affinity. 


PLENTY  OF  PUPILS.  363 

"The  edict  for  catch  in  p  people  on  the  roads  at  night 
graduall}'  became  more  and  more  of  a  dead  letter,  as 
most  things  do  in  this  country,  and  at  present  seems 
to  have  been  withdrawn.  Hence  I  have  almost  all 
along  had  a  fair  number  of  pupils  everj'  evening.  At 
present  we  are  going  through  St.  Luke,  for  the — 
I-cannot-say-how-many — th  time.  We  had  a  good 
stock  of  that  Gospel,  while  the  idiom  of  it  has  ever 
been  almost  unintelligible  to  most.  Hence,  few  ever 
took  to  it,  the  rage  being  on  St.  Matthew.  But 
necessity  compelled  me  to  take  up  St.  Luke,  and 
now  they  seem  all  keen  for  it.  I  have  read  also 
several  Epistles  this  last  month  with  the  more 
advanced  ones.  The  Apocalypse,  too,  is  always  a 
favourite,  as  also  the  Acts.  Wh.en,  oh  when,  can 
they  have  more  than  the  veriest  fraction  of  the  Word 
in  their  own  tongue — I  mean  in  real  idiomatic 
intelligible  language  ?  The  Suahili  is,  I  fear,  some- 
times very  '  Kizungu,'  and  frequently  not  a  little 
coloured  by  the  theological  dogmas  of  the  translator. 
That  is  a  great  snare,  and  can  only  be  avoided  by 
the  closest  accuracy  in  following  the  text,  and  by  the 
other  invaluable  safeguard  of  many  minds.  When 
can  we  be  together  again  at  this  work  .-*  The  Lord 
hasten  the  day  !  This  one-man  job  is  little  better 
than  a  makeshift,  let  me  be  ever  so  careful.  I  only 
hope  revisers  will  treat  with  leniency  what  is  at  least 
an  honest  endeavour  to  be  accurate. 

"On  Sundays  I  generally  have  a  houseful  ;  in  fact, 
far  more  than   I  think    meantime   safe   or   prudent. 


364  REMEDIES  SUGGESTED. 

But  we  must  risk  something.  If  Nero  could  let  the 
manifestation  of  Christ,  the  Lord  Jesus  will  also  let 
the  lawlessness  of  Nero.  Let  us,  therefore,  not  be 
troubled  or  too  anxious.  We  may  soon  see  the 
kingdom  of  God  coming  here  with  power,  although 
not  with  sudden  observation. 

"  I  trust  that  some  of  our  people  are  growing  in 
knowledge,  and  I  hope  in  grace  also.  One  good  sign 
is  that  beginners  are  numerous,  being  taught  by  those 
of  older  standing.  Books  and  papers  continue  to  be 
purchased.  I  printed  2(X)  Ngates^  since  you  left,  and 
every  one  has  been  bought.  Litany  is  entirely  run 
out  some  time  ago,  and  of  the  Mateka  I  have  only  two 
or  three  left.  Even  hymns  continue  to  be  bought. 
Of  the  Njatida  I  find  still  some  300  on  hand,  so  that 
about  700  of  these  are  in  circulation.  Gordon  kindly 
sent  me  a  parcel  of  Suahili  books  last  month,  and 
there  is  always  more  or  less  a  demand  for  these. 
The  little  admiral  still  adheres  to  the  faith,  and 
comes  occasionally.  Edward  has  fjot  promotion, 
being  now  Mutesa,  one  of  the  biggest  Kitongolo.s  in 
the  country.  He  ceases,  however,  to  superintend  the 
new  buildings,  the  Katikiro  having  lodged  acompLiint 
that  he  was  taxing  the  chiefs,  etc.,  too  heavily.  The 
Katikiro's  alleged  reason  was  that  this  heavy  fining- 
would  delay  the  building  of  the  new  capital.  Of 
course  the  reason  is  a  general  mutinous  spirit  among 
the  chiefs,  who  know  well  that  these  perpetual  fines 

*  Syllables. 


THE  QUEEN-MOTHER'S  ADVICE.  365 

find  their  way  into  the  king's  treasury.  His  majesty 
accordingly  handed  over  the  erection  of  the  new 
buildings  to  the  Katikiro  himself — and  already  I 
hear  that  poor  Edward  has  got  into  trouble  for  some 
act  of  kyejo  or  other.  Zakariya  is  still  in  hiding,  and 
has  from  sheer  necessity  taken  to  the  hoe.  Samuel 
is  likewise  invisible,  but  communicates  with  me. 
Henry  Wright  spent  a  week  or  two  here,  but  is  now 
gone.  One  or  two  chiefs  are  learning  secretly — 
Mwemba  and  Kajongolo.  Trouble  seems,  however, 
not  far  off.  A  i&\^  weeks  ago  there  was  a  general 
scare,  and  we  all  expected  another  outbreak  of 
cruelty.  King  Mwanga  has  been  heard  to  say  that 
he  intended  slaughtering  the  Christians,  who,  he  said, 
were  still  many.  The  queen-mother  heard  of  it,  and 
seems  to  have  got  the  Katikiro  and  Kibare  to  advise 
the  insane  youth  to  forbear,  and  only  kill  any  in- 
dividuals who  were  guilty  of  direct  acts  of  dis- 
obedience. She  seems  also  to  have  sent  Manoga 
too  with  a  direct  message  to  his  highness,  advising 
him  to  retain  his  pages,  etc.,  about  him,  as  they  were 
guilty  of  no  crime,  and  were  his  only  strength,  while 
the  chiefs  generally  were  in  a  state  of  discontent. 
Would  that  the  foolish  tyrant  would  take  this  sensible 
advice,  for  the  future  chiefs  are  these  very  pages  and 
attendants  ! 

"  Unhappily,  an  unfortunate  incident  occurred  soon 
after.  The  soldiers,  you  know,  have  the  fences  to 
build,  as  their  share  of  the  royal  work.  Our  diligent 
reader  and  counsellor  Mika  (Sematimba)  set  off  a  few 


366  REMEDIES  SUGGESTED. 

days  after  the  fire,  to  cut  canes  ingd)  for  tying  the 
fences.  As  he  expected  to  be  away  for  some  time, 
he  took  his  traps  with  him,  and  his  boy  Sabadu.  On 
the  way  he  met  some  Bakyala,  whose  bagazi,  as 
usual,  took  a  fancy  to  Sabadu's  bundle.  Of  course, 
expostulations  followed,  and  Mika's  gun  was  also 
taken,  while  out  of  the  bundle  fell  some  books ! 
Mika  took  refuge  in  flight,  and  next  day  the  books 
were  handed  to  the  king,  who  sent  them  to  the 
Katikiro.  But  the  fate  of  Jamari  was  too  recent  to 
give  confidence.  Mika  was  living  at  Kitebi  with 
Haruni,  and  as  Mika  determined  to  flee,  the  other 
had  to  go  also,  as  he  would  have  to  give  evidence. 
Well  for  them  that  they  did  go  into  hiding,  for 
Mukajanga  was  sent  on  their  track,  only  I  am  happy 
to  say  the  lads  got  off  in  the  direction  of  Nikodemo's. 
I  sincerely  trust  they  will  get  out  of  the  country 
altogether.  Probably,  if  many  more  were  to  escape, 
there  would  be  more  liberty  given  to  those  who 
remain,  in  case  they  desert  also.  But,  poor  fellows, 
they  are  chary  of  all  neighbouring  countries,  which 
are  more  savage  than  their  own,  and  mostly  hostile 
to  this  land  of  robbers.  By  the  way,  I  hear  that 
Byakweaola  is  safe  at  Kabarega's,  and  has  sent  a 
message  to  me  for  books  and  papers.  Kabarega 
seems  to  have  expressed  a  desire  that  I  should  leave 
this,  and  come  to  teach  him  ! 

"I  am  very  glad  to  see  that  the  C.M.S.  have  got  a 
friend  of  Africa  as  Treasurer,  Sir  T.  Fovvell  Buxton. 
You  cannot  do  better  than  get  acquainted  with  him, 


GUNS   AND   GUNPOWDER.  367 

and  confer  together  on  the  interests  of  this  wretched 
portion  of  the  earth's  surface.  Sir  Thomas  is  a 
philanthropist,  and  the  representative  of  a  family  to 
be  mentioned  with  Wilberforce,  Gordon,  Stevenson, 
and  Mackinnon.  There  are  not  many  men  in 
England  of  very  large  hearts,  large  enough  to  take  in 
all  Africa,  but  I  have  long  believed  that  Sir  T.  F. 
Buxton  is  one. 

"  Do  try  your  utmost  to  press  the  fire-arms  ques- 
tion. Interests  of  gun  makers  and  powder-makers, 
and  petty  traders,  are  all  so  bound  up  in  it  that  you 
will  find  it  as  *  tickle  a  pint '  as  the  whisky-dealers' 
traffic  *  Free  trade,'  and  such-like  objections,  will 
be  raised  ;  but  there  can  be  no  free  trade  in  robbery 
and  murder,  or  in  the  means  for  carrying  on  these 
unspeakable  atrocities.  Above  all,  in  the  present 
pocket-sparing  epoch,  when  all  the  cry  is  '  expense,' 
as  if  all  the  end  of  existence  were  money-grubbing, 
you  can  well  urge  the  argument  of  the  cheapness  with 
which  a  firm  grip  can  be  got  of  petty  potentates, 
by  allowing  them  only  so  much  in  the  way  of  arms 
and  ammunition  annually,  according  to  their  good 
behaviour  !  Of  course,  smuggling  arms  will  be  tried  ; 
but  that  is  neither  here  nor  there.  Is  no  evil  ever 
to  be  prevented,  because  a  few  individuals  ever  will 
succeed  in  evading  the  law  ? 

"The  profits  to  honest  merchants  on  legitimate 
trade  will  be  enormously  enhanced  when  peace,  and 
not  war,  is  the  order  of  the  day  among  these  millions 
of  blacks.     But  they  must  be  helped  to  peace,  just  as 


368  REMEDIES  SUGGESTED. 

hitherto  they  have  been  helped  to  war.  It  is  a 
dreadful  and  loud-crying  iniquity,  that  the  British 
Agent  in  Zanzibar  should  be  found  backing  Tipu 
Tip,  the  robber  and  murderer  of  hundreds  and 
thousands  of  our  fellow-creatures  in  the  heart  of 
Africa.  I  hope  you  will  be  able  to  expose  by  tongue 
and  pen  this  heinous  patronage  of  bloodshed.  Please 
try  to  see  the  Rev.  Horace  Waller  (editor  of  Living- 
stones Last  JoiLrnals).     He,  too,  is  a  friend  of  Africa. 

"The  voice  of  Moffat  and  Livingstone  is  not 
silenced,  and  will  not  be,  until  the  tribunal  of 
Almighty  Justice  ceases  to  condemn  the  horrors  of 
injustice  in  Central  Africa. 

"  Another  interesting  relic  of  good  Bishop  Han- 
nington  was  brought  me  for  sale  a  few  weeks  ago, 
viz.,  a  journal  of  his  voyage  out  and  travels  in 
Palestine,  and  arrival  in  Cairo,  en  route  for  his  new 
diocese.  He  left  the  Nile  there,  close  by  its  entrance 
into  the  ocean,  and  just  succeeded  in  getting  a 
glimpse  of  it  in  its  exit  from  the  Nyanza,  when  he 
was  to  be  done  for  ever  with  rivers  of  earth,  and 
drink  for  evermore  of  the  great  river  of  the  Water  of 
Life.  I  am  sending  the  book  by  this  mail  to  Mrs. 
Hannington. 

"What  sadness  and  melancholy  comes  over  me  at 
times,  and  I  find  myself  shedding  tears  like  a  child  ! 
Then  those  wonderfully  consoling  psalms  of  David 
and  Asaph,  which  send  a  thrill  of  joy  into  my  whole 
being.  This  ail-but  omnipotent  reign  of  evil  weighs 
one  down,  and  then  the  exultant  hope  of  its  eternal 


EVILS   OF   ISOLATION.  369 

destruction,  and  the  ultimate  triumph  of  good,  cheers 
me  up  to  more  endurance  and  perseverance  to  the 
end.  What  is  perhaps  the  saddest  aspect  of  all,  is 
the  half-hearted  callousness  of  our  many  friends  and 
supporters,  who  let  truisms  and  platitudes  take  the 
place  in  their  hearts  of  faith  and  energy  in  doing 
battle  against  the  powers  of  evil.  *  Prayer  moves 
the  Hand  that  moves  the  world,'  but  the  fingers  of 
that  Hand  are  earnest  men! 

"  Many  thanks  for  the  *  Shakspeare.'  Two  Revised 
Bibles  came  by  the  last  post,  the  same  edition  and 
binding  as  the  one  you  left  me.  I  shall  send  one  of 
them  to  Emin.  I  mean  to  send  him  also  Drum- 
mond's  '  Natural  Law.'  It  may  help,  by  God's 
blessing,  to  open  his  eyes.  As  Emin  is  a  biologist, 
possibly  he  will  readily  agree  in  the  main  argument. 

"  There  can  be  no  question  but  that  all  history 
.•shows  plainly,  that  among  races  of  men  isolation 
produces  degeneration,  while  intercourse  with  other 
nations  tends  to  elevation.  Were  this  interior  brought 
more  into  contact  with  the  outside  world,  the  horrid 
deeds  of  cruelty  would  hide  their  heads  in  shame. 
Even  Christianity,  when  isolated,  has  generally 
become  either  corrupt  or  extinct.  Look  at  the 
Armenian  and  Abyssinian  Churches,  for  the  religious 
degeneration,  while  all  Africa  is  a  standing  testimony 
to  the  destructive  power  of  isolation.  One  of  the 
most  powerful  factors  that  will  in  future  elevate  the 
African  will  be  communication.  The  strength  of  the 
powers  of  evil  in  this  interior  lies  in  their  inaccessi- 

A.  M.  M.  '  24 


370  RhMEDIES  ^UuUEsjJin. 


bility  from  without.  I  must  therefore  hope  that  you 
will  be  able  to  get  some  good  company  of  Cliristiaii 
merchants  to  put  their  heads  together,  and  follow  up 
your  scheme  from  Mombasa  to  Speke  Gulf" 


DRIVEN  OUT, 


"BURUNGUGE    ISLAND, 

''June  is^Ay  1889. 
"To  Mr.  Mackay,— 

"  I  send  ver)'  many  compliments  to  you  and  to  Mr.  Gordon. 

"  After  compliments,  I,  Mwanga,  beg  of  you  to  help  me.  Do 
not  remember  bygone  matters.  We  are  now  in  a  miserable 
plight,  but  if  you,  my  fathers,  are  willing  to  come  and  help  to 
restore  me  to  my  kingdom,  you  will  be  at  liberty  to  do  what- 
ever you  like. 

"  Formerly  I  did  not  know  God,  but  now  I  know  the  religion 
of  Jesus  Christ.  Consider  how  Kalenia  has  killed  all  my 
brothers  and  sisters  ;  he  has  killed  my  children,  too,  and  now 
there  remain  only  we  two  princes  [Kalema  and  myself].  Mr. 
Mackay,  do  help  me  ;  I  have  no  strength,  but  if  you  are  with 
me  I  shall  be  strong.  Sir,  do  not  imagine  that  if  you  restore 
Mwanga  to  Uganda,  he  will  become  bad  again.  If  you  find  me 
become  bad,  then  you  may  drive  me  from  the  throne  ;  but  I 
have  given  up  my  former  ways,  and  I  only  wish  now  to  follow 
your  advice.  "  I  am  your  friend, 

"  (Signed)     Mwanga," 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

DRIVEN  OUT. 

AFTER  various  adventures  Mackay  succeeds  in 
establishing  himself  at  Usambiro,  on  the  south 
coast  of  the  Victoria  Nyanza,  and  in  the  territory 
of  a  friendly  chief.  Soon  after  this,  Bishop  Parker 
arrives,  and  a  missionary  conference  is  held  for  many 
days,  there  being  then  no  fewer  than  six  brethren  at 
the  station.  Within  a  fortnight  of  each  other,  the 
bishop  and  Mr.  Blackburn  were  suddenly  smitten 
with  fever  and  passed  away.  The  others  disperse  to 
different  stations,  except  Mr.  Ashe,  who  remains  at 
Usambiro  ;  but  after  a  time  he  is  obliged  to  return  to 
England,  on  account  of  his  health,  and  once  more 
Mackay  is  left  alone. 

After  a  time,  however,  the  two  brethren  who  had 
gone  on  to  Uganda  escape,  after  many  perils,  and 
arrive  at  Usambiro  in  a  most  forlorn  condition.  Mr. 
Walker  proceeds  to  Nasa  ;  but  Mr.  Gordon  remains 
with  Mackay,  and  is  of  great  assistance  in  teaching 
the  Christian  refugees  from  Uganda 

Mackay  carries  on  his  re-translation  of  St.  John's 
Gospel  ;  and  much  of  his  time  and  strength  are  spent 
in  the  forest,  felling  and   sawing  timber,    and  trans- 


374  DRIVEN  OUT. 


porting  it  in  a  four-wheeled  wagon  he  had  ma(ie  to 
a  convenient  spot  for  building  the  proposed  steam- 
launch.  The  next  item  of  special  interest  is  the 
arrival  of  Mr.  H.  M.  Stanley  and  party  with  Emin 
Pasha  and  their  motley  group  of  followers,  on  their 
way  to  the  coast. 

"South  End  of  Smith  Sound, 
"Victoria  Nyanza, 
''Sept.  7th,  1887. 

"  I  am  comparatively  by  myself  again,  as  Wise 
is  at  Msalala  (twelve  miles  distant),  but  he  comes 
over  here  occasionally.  Gordon  bravely  went  on  to 
Uganda  to  take  my  place  for  a  time.  There  was  no 
one  else  to  go.  Hooper  being  alone  at  Uyui,  and  I 
had  promised  to  send  some  one  on  at  once.  I  am 
fully  confident  that  Gordon  is  quite  safe  in  Uganda 
just  now.  Were  not  that  my  conviction,  I  should 
not  have  asked  him  to  go  at  all.  In  fact,  I  was  more 
than  half  minded  to  go  back  myself 

"  I  expect  the  bishop  and  Ashe  and  some  others  in 
about  two  months.  I  believe  they  are  bringing  a 
boat  with  them,  and  the  heavy  end  of  building  that 
will  probably  fall  on  this  child  ;  but  I  may  be 
mistaken. 

"  Here  I  am  encamped  by  the  creek,  with  a  fine 
view  of  the  water,  and  plenty  of  mosquitoes  at  night. 
The  ground,  too,  is  swarming  with  white  ants,  and 
a  box  or  anything  edible  is  devoured  in  an  hour  or 
two.    These  little  horrors — ants  and  mustics — are  the 


LIONS  AND  LEOPARDS.  375 

plague  of  my  life, — nearly  as  bad  as  the  Arabs  in 
Uganda.  Msalala  is  a  horrible  place  for  leopards 
and  lions  after  dark.  They  used  to  run  round  and 
round  the  house.  Mwanga  likes  to  be  called  a  lion  ; 
and  alone  in  the  country  he  has  the  privilege  of 
sitting  on  a  leopard's  skin.  I  hope  one  of  these  days 
to  get  your  box  of  little  things.  A  cup,  or  a  tumbler, 
or  a  few  pins  or  needles  and  thread  I  am  always  glad 
to  get." 

"C.M.S.  Port, 
"South  End  of  Smith  Sound, 

''Oct.  ird,  1887. 

**  I  have  heard  not  a  word  yet  of  Stanley  from  this 
side,  and  scarcely  now  expect  to  hear ;  nor  have  we 
any  news  from  Uganda  since  I  left  it,  and  Gordon 
bravely  went  there  to  take  my  place.  One  of  the 
most  unfavourable  things  we  have  to  struggle  with  in 
Central  Africa  is  the  want  of  easy  and  rapid  com- 
munication from  place  to  place.  Doubtless  that  will 
be  remedied  in  time,  as  it  has,  in  fact,  been  already 
considerably  remedied.  Our  monthly  mail  to  the 
coast  is  an  unspeakable  comfort.  Eleven  years  ago 
there  was  no  mail  at  all.  I  often  think  that  we  have 
great  reason  to  thank  God  and  take  courage,  when 
we  reflect  upon  the  progress  that  has  been  made 
already,  notwithstanding  many  and  great  reverses. 

"  I  have  just  returned  from  a  fortnight's  stay  and 
worry  at  Msalala.  Mr.  Wise  had  sent  over  for  me, 
as  he  was  very  ill,  and  the  chief  was  annoying  him 
beyond  forbearance  with  demands  for  blackmail. 


376  DRIVEN  OUT. 


"  After  I  went  over  there,  Wise  soon  recovered, 
and  the  chief  kept  quiet  for  a  week.  He  then  sent 
us  an  insolent  message  that  we  must  either  fight  or 
evacuate  the  station.  We  repHed  that  we  had  no 
desire  to  shed  blood,  nor  had  we  given  any  provoca- 
tion; but  that  we  were  prepared  to  go  away  if  desired. 
After  many  palavers,  and  much  bullying  on  the  part 
of  the  natives,  we  commenced  to  pack  up  the  Mission 
property.  Then  the  chief,  fearing  he  would  lose 
many  a  broad  yard  of  cloth,  tried  to  apologise,  and 
bade  us  stay.  But  during  the  last  two  years,  ever 
since  he  has  been  there,  he  has  proved  so  rapacious 
and  false  to  his  word,  that  we  could  not  see  it  our 
duty  to  continue  to  throw  away  the  funds  upon  him. 
Far  and  near  the  story  of  his  rapacity  has  spread,  and 
the  natives  have  come  to  believe  that  they  have  only 
to  bully  the  white  man  to  get  whatever  they  demand. 
Hence,  we  must  consent  to  sacrifice  all  the  labour 
and  expense  of  buildings,  etc.,  in  order  to  dispel  this 
illusion.  We  have  packed  up  most  of  the  stuff,  and 
already  a  considerable  part  is  carried  over  this  way. 

"  At  Uyui,  too,  matters  are  no  better.  The  chief 
there  has  proved  so  exorbitant  in  his  demands,  which 
he  enforces  by  terror,  that  the  bishop,  who  has  ar- 
rived there,  is  preparing  to  remove  the  Mission  from 
under  his  power,  and  form  a  station  with  a  friendly 
chief  in  the  neighbourhood.  As  the  bishop  says, 
'  Thus  only  can  we  teach  these  petty  tyrants  the 
lesson  that  when  their  demands  exceed  moderation, 
we  cannot  stay  with  them.'     I  need  scarcely  say  that, 


THE  SOWING  AND  REAPING  STAGE.  377 

up  till  now,  neither  at  Msalala  nor  at  Uyui  have 
there  been  found  any  converts,  nor  even  a  desire  on 
the  part  of  any  of  the  natives  for  even  the  first 
elements  of  Christian  instruction. 

*'  But  when  turned  out  of  one  place,  God  raises  us 
up  friends  ready  to  welcome  us  in  another.  Of  course 
they  hope  chiefly,  if  not  altogether,  to  profit  only 
materially  by  our  presence ;  but  all  along  we  are 
obliged,  in  Africa,  to  take  advantage  of  a  desire  for 
material  benefit  to  gain  a  footing  and  so  to  find 
ourselves  in  a  position  to  introduce  spiritual  teaching. 
It  has  proved  equally  so  in  Uganda. 

"  Current  ideas  at  home  as  to  Mission  work  are,  I 
fear,  very  different ;  but  I  have  not  heard  of  any  part 
of  Africa,  east  or  west,  where  the  native  bearing  to  the 
Missions  is  different  from  what  it  is  in  this  neigh- 
bourhood. It  is  a  system  of  beggary  from  beginning 
to  end,  and  too  often  of  suspicion,  and  more  or  less 
hostility  too.  Only  when  these  first  adverse  stages 
are  passed,  can  we  expect  to  do  any  real  good. 
Disarming  suspicion  and  securing  friendship  are  a 
slow  process,  but  an  absolutely  necessary  one.  They 
are  most  wearisome,  and  trying  to  the  faith  and 
temper  of  those  engaged  in  the  task,  while  they  yield 
no  returns  to  show  in  Mission  reports  ;  yet  on  their 
success  depends  the  future  of  our  work.  Here- 
about we  are  so  far  from  the  reaping  stage,  that  we 
can  scarcely  be  said  even  to  be  sowing.  We  are 
merely  clearing  the  ground,  and  cutting  down  the 
natural  growth  of  suspicion  and  jealousy,  and  clear- 


378  DRIVEN  OUT. 


ing  out  the  hard  stones  of  ignorance  and  superstition. 
Only  after  the  ground  is  thus  in  some  measure  pre- 
pared and  broken  up,  can  we  cast  in  the  seed  with 
hope  of  a  harvest  in  God's  good  time." 

"  South  End  of  Victoria  Nyanza, 

''Dec.  zoth,  1887. 

"On  July  2ist  you  got  not  only  a  son  but  a 
brother  also,  for  on  that  day,  by  the  infinite  grace  of 
our  Lord,  I  was  permitted  to  leave  Uganda.  Pos- 
sibly I  shall  soon  have  to  go  back  there  again ;  but 
meantime  I  have  much  to  do  here;  and  when  that  is 
done,  if  I  am  granted  strength  to  do  it,  I  should 
fondly  hope  to  come  to  see  you  all  before  crossing 
the  lake  again.  But  that  is  yet,  I  fear,  a  long  way 
ahead,  and  He  who  has  so  well  disposed  of  all  our 
concerns  hitherto,  will  lead  us  also  in  the  future  as 
He  sees  to  be  best  for  each  one  of  us. 

"Ashe  and  Walker  arrived  here  safely  some  three 
weeks  ago.  The  bishop  and  Blackburn  also  came 
back  from  Magu,  while  Hooper  came  on  from  Uyui, 
so  there  are  six  of  us  here  altogether.  We  are  busy 
holding  a  many  days'  conference,  so  as  to  settle  the 
important  questions  connected  with  the  working  of 
the  Mission.  We  have  a  prayer  meeting  every 
morning,  and  the  conference  afterwards. 

"Bishop  Parker  is  a  very  good  and  true  man,  and  is 
much  liked  by  us  all.  I  believe  that  his  presence 
will  do  much  good  in  the  field. 

"Gordon  is  still  in  Uganda.     My  latest   from  him 


ALL  HANDS  BUSY.  379 

is  dated  Nov.  16.  At  that  date  all  was  fairly  quiet, 
and  some  increased  liberty  granted  to  our  people  to 
worship.     May  it  long  continue." 

"  USAMBIRO, /«;«.  26th,  1888. 

"Ashe  is  here,  and  Walker,  as  well  as  Bishop 
Parker. 

"  We  are  all  quite  ignorant  of  the  langu  age,  and 
are  as  busy  as  possible  erecting  buildings  and  break- 
ing in  ground  for  cultivation.  The  bishop  takes  the 
cultivation  in  hand,  besides  a  deal  of  other  work. 
His  example  is  most  beneficial  to  us  all.  Deekes  is 
here,  too,  at  present,  but  hopes  to  join  Hooper  at  the 
new  station  at  Nasa,  on  Speke  Gulf 

"  It  satisfies  some  people  to  know  that  there  are 
Missions  in  Africa,  without  inquiring  if  their  numbers 
are  in  any  way  commensurate  with  the  requirements. 
The  C.M.S.  in  East  Africa  is  only  a  handful.  The 
L.M.S.  are  less.  The  Germans  have  begun  on  the 
coast  with  two  or  three  missionaries  at  as  many 
points.  But  it  is  almost  a  certainty  that,  under 
present  difficulties  as  to  men  and  means,  all  these 
societies  together  will  never  in  centuries  of  time 
be  able  to  undertake  the  vast  work  to  be  done  in 
East  Africa  alone.  Even  if  they  were  to  increase 
their  respective  staffs  to  double  or  treble,  yet  all 
would  not  suffice  even  for  a  fraction.  We  therefore 
see  that  some  totally  new  departure  must  be  made,  if 
the  work  is  to  be  done  at  all.  The  work  must  be 
done,  and  now  is  the  time.     Doors  are  open  every- 


SSo  DRIVEN  OUT. 


where,  and  Christian  England  is  content  to  see 
generation  after  generation  of  human  beings  passing 
awa)'  without  the  Gospel.  Mission  work  abroad  must 
be,  once  and  for  all,  made  the  work  of  the  Church. 
Home  work  will  gain  thereby.  There  will  be  no  lack 
of  labourers  for  that  at  all  times.  It  is  not  those 
who  have  no  ties  to  bind  them  at  home,  and  who 
have  no  sacrifices  to  make,  whom  we  want  abroad. 
We  want  the  best  and  the  ablest,  and  those  who 
can  be  least  spared  at  home,  to  come  out  here. 
Each  one  can  find  reasons  for  keeping  him  or  her 
at  home.  But  strike  a  balance.  Are  the  reasons  for 
pressing,  at  all  hazards,  into  the  foreign  field  not 
much  stronger?  Can  we  conscientiously  decline  for 
reasons  of  our  own,  to  obey  our  King's  command, 
Go  ye,  not  send  }  Nowadays,  even  some  Church- 
men advocate  Islam  for  the  negro,  instead  of  Chris- 
tianity, chiefly  because  Islam  is  infinitely  more 
pushing  than  Christianity.  How  long  is  this  to  be 
so?  Do  our  Christian  friends  not  know  that  once 
people  become  Mohammedans,  it  is  almost  impos- 
sible to  evangelise  them  ?  Hosts  of  traders,  schemers, 
and  irreligious  persons  are  now  pushing  into  East 
Africa  with  spirits  and  other  evils,  and  the  natives 
will  soon  be  so  disgusted  with  white  men  and  their 
vices,  that  they  will  not  look  with  any  favour  at 
their  religion,  when  it  conies  in  feeble  efforts  after. 
Now,  therefore,  is  the  time  to  save  East  Africa  ;  and 
eternal  shame  will  be  on  the  Church  if  this  oppor- 
tunity is  lost" 


WASTE   OF  ENERGY  AT  HOME.  381 


"  USAMBIRO, /^?«.  2yth,  IJ 
"  Since  I  left  Uganda,  I  cannot  say  that  I  am  quite 
at  home;  but  I  must  consider  it  as  such  for  some  time 
to  come.  The  field  is  enormous,  and  our  force,  even 
if  increased  tenfold,  would  be  all  too  few  for  the  work. 
I  would  therefore  be  in  no  way  justified  in  seeking  to 
return  just  now  to  England,  unless  ill-health  or  some 
such  cause  were  to  compel  me.  At  the  same  time,  I 
feel  very  grateful  for  your  kind  invitation  to  me  to 
pay  you  a  visit.  May  the  day  soon  come  when  I 
shall  be  able  with  a  clear  conscience  to  avail  myself 
of  a  holiday.  Yet  a  run  to  England  would,  I  fear,  be 
no  rest.  The  sleepy  Church  has  to  be  stirred  up 
to  infinitely  greater  interest  in  Mission  work.  How 
could  I  sit  down  in  peace,  knowing  the  crying  needs 
of  Africa  ?  The  conversion  of  the  heathen  must  be- 
come the  work  of  the  Church,  and  not  merely  a  small 
branch  of  its  work.  Only  when  one  actually  sees 
the  total  ignorance  and  darkness  of  millions  of 
people,  can  one  in  proper  measure  realize  the  great 
need  of  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  of  mission- 
aries among  the  heathen.  This  strikes  me  more 
forcibly  when  I  reflect  on  the  enormous  zvaste  of 
energy  in  Christian  work  at  home,  each  petty  sect 
struggling  to  uphold  its  own  shibboleth  with  a  hand- 
ful of  adherents  in  every  parish  and  village,  instead 
of  agreeing  to  let  their  paltry  differences  drop,  and 
sacrificing  a  trifle  for  the  great  work  of  the  regenera- 
tion of  lost  races  of  men.  Millions  untold  are  surely 
more  to  be  cared    for    than    trifling  peculiarities   of 


3^2  DRIVEN   OUT. 


creed.  But  these  go  down  to  the  grave,  age  after 
age,  without  a  hope,  because  Christian  men  love  to 
squabble  over  infinitesimals  on  Church  government 
and  the  like !  If  this  goes  on  much  longer,  surely 
there  will  come  a  day  of  reckoning.  In  olden  times 
the  Churches  of  Europe  and  Asia  spent  their  time  in 
debating  on  trifles.  Their  candlestick  was  therefore 
removed,  and  to-day  we  see  the  Crescent  ruling  where 
once  the  Cross  was  triumphant.  Even  to-day  we  see 
agnosticism  and  infidelity  growing  at  an  alarming 
pace,  while  our  Churches  battle  with  each  other  and 
denounce  one  another. 

"But  we  pray  and  hope  that  all  this  may  cease,  and 
that  men  of  God  will  find  their  love  to  Him  so  real 
that  they  will  take  to  loving  one  another  and  their 
heathen  fellow- men." 


"USAMBIRO,  Feb.  2\th,  i! 
"  We  are  still  plodding  on,  meantime,  chiefly  build- 
ing and  clearing  the  jungle  for  cultivation,  as  the 
rainy  season  is  now  setting  in,  and  we  must  be  under 
cover  of  some  sort,  besides  having  to  provide  food  for 
the  coming  year.  The  boat  has  not  returned  yet 
from  Uganda,  since  it  left  at  the  New  Year.  Nor 
have  we  any  news  yet  of  Stanley  from  this  side.  I 
guess  that  he  will  have  very  much  to  do  at  Wadelai, 
setting  things  in  order  and  quelling  insubordination 
among  the  Egyptian  officers,  who  hold  many  of 
Emin's  chief  forts  on  their  own  account,  and  give 
little  heed  to  bis  authority.    Unless  Stanley  and  Emin 


THE  BISHOP  AND  BLACKBURN  DIE.  3S3 

either  remove  or  hang  some  of  these,  the  Soudan 
equatorial  province  will  be  worth  little.  No  half- 
and-half  measures  do  in  Africa." 

"USAMBIRO,  April  2ird,  1888. 

"  You  will  have  doubtless  seen  the  telegram  we 
sent  to  be  wired  from  Zanzibar,  reporting  the  death 
here  of  first  Mr.  Blackburn,  and  exactly  fourteen  days 
afterwards,  to  an  hour,  of  the  bishop  himself.  Black- 
burn lay  a  week  in  a  semi-conscious  state.  The 
bishop  was  only  one  day  ill,  and  quite  delirious  most 
of  the  time.  Both  had  become  perfectly  yellow  with 
jaundice.  Bile  seems  a  terrible  poison  to  the  blood 
and  brain,  rendering  one  dead  to  all  outside,  and 
the  other  wild  with  delirium.  However,  both  passed 
away  insensibly,  and  theirs  now  is  the  gain.  They 
had  travelled  together  from  the  coast,  and  we  have 
laid  them  side  by  side  under  a  tree  in  the  jungle  close 
by,  piling  a  great  heap  of  stones  over  each  grave,  and 
planting  an  euphorbia  fence  round  the  plot  of  ground. 

"  Thus  twice  within  a  fortnight,  Ashe  and  I  have 
performed  the  sacred  duty  of  commending  our  dying 
brethren  to  the  Saviour  whom  they  served,  and 
closing  their  eyes.  On  both  occasions  I  read  the 
funeral  service  at  the  grave  in  Suahili,  a  score  of 
African  Christians  from  Freretown  standing  round. 

"  It  has  indeed  been  a  heavy  time  of  sorrow  to  us 
all  ;  but  more  so  to  the  distant  friends  will'  the  news 
bring  sudden  grief.  The  conquest  of  Africa  has 
already  cost  many  lives;  but  every  one  gone  is  a  step 


384  DRIVEN  OUT. 


nearer  victory.  The  end  to  be  gained  is,  however, 
worth  the  price  paid.  The  redemption  of  the  world 
cost  infinitely  more. 

"  Now  just  pity  us,  and,  above  all,  pity  the  work  as 
it  stands  to-day.  A  bishop  will,  I  dare  say,  not  be 
hard  to  find,  for  the  post  is  one  of  honour,  even  in  the 
eyes  of  the  world  ;  but  where  are  the  rank  and  file  of 
the  Mission  staff  to  come  from  }  I  have  no  doubt  but 
that  our  broken  ranks  would  soon  be  more  than  re- 
filled if  our  friends  would  only  busy  themselves  to  care 
to  do  something  for  the  Mission  field.  Many  are  glad 
to  get  information  from  the  heathen  world  ;  and  the 
more  the  accounts  bristle  with  dangers,  and  horrors, 
and  murders,  and  massacres,  the  more  spicy  it  is.  But 
is  the  effect  produced  more  than  the  transient  interest 
in  reading  a  tragic  play  ?  The  mass  of  even  our  best 
Christians  still  look  on  the  foreign  field  as  of  only 
secondary  concern — at  least  as  work  for  only  a 
devoted  few,  but  not  for  all.  The  Continental  idea  of 
'  every  citizen  a  soldier,'  is  the  true  watchword  for 
the  Church  and  Missions. 

"  Now  I  make  one  request,  viz.,  that  among  all  your 
kindred  and  acquaintance  you  get  every  year  one  man 
to  take  up  foreign  Mission  work.  In  that  way  we 
shall  make  substantial  progress." 

"  MUTEREZA,  KWA  MAKOLO, 

"Victoria  Nvanza,  Aug.  Zth,  1888. 
"I  shall  be  very  glad  to  see  the  'Missionary  Re- 
view of  the  World.'     I  had  not  heard  of  it  before. 


AGAIN  LEFT  ALONE.  385 

"  My  brother  Ashe  left  this  for  the  coast  about  ten 
days  ago,  so  that  I  am  once  more  in  what  may  be 
called  solitude.  Still  I  have  plenty  of  natives  always 
about  me,  and  my  hands  full  of  work.  I  scarcely 
expect  now  to  have  a  companion  before  the  end  of 
the  year.  Ashe  was  very  often  ailing  here,  and  did 
not  seem  to  improve  in  health  as  time  went  on.  But 
I  hope  the  march  will  set  him  up,  and  that  he  will 
be  spared  for  many  years  of  usefulness,  only  in  a 
cooler  climate. 

"  I  have  my  hands  full,  preparing  to  build  our  new 
boat.  I  have  to  cut  the  timber  some  twenty  miles 
distant,  and  have  it  carried  here.  You  will  be  pro- 
bably disgusted  at  hearing  that  I  am  busy  just  now 
making  bricks  to  build  a  house  in  which  to  construct 
the  vessel.  Within  the  last  fortnight  we  have  made 
some  ten  thousand.  That  is  doubtless  poor  work  to 
be  occupied  with  in  the  Mission  field,  but  it  must  be 
done ;  and  in  even  such  humble  occupation  I  hope 
the  good  Lord  will  not  withhold  His  blessing.  Mis- 
sion boats  unfortunately  do  not  grow  of  themselves, — 
they  have  to  be  built,  every  inch  of  them.  But  trees 
have  been  growing  for  ages,  of  the  Lord's  planting  ; 
and  as  we  fell  them,  I  like  to  think  that  He  ordained 
them  for  this  purpose." 

"USAMBIRO,   KWA   MAKOLO, 

''Sept.  Sth,  1 888. 
"  We  have  had  a  war  scare  here,  and  all  the  neigh- 
bourhood is  in  arms,  vyhile  bands  of  armed  men  have 
A.  M.  M.  25 


386  DRIVEN  OUT. 


come  from  Uzinja  (to  the  north)  to  aid  Makolo  to 
beat  the  foe.  An  attack  was  expected  from  the 
Msalala  country,  where  they  are  jealous  of  Makolo 
having  a  white  man,  and  all  his  wealth  (!)^  all  to  him- 
self;  but  the  expected  raid  has  not  taken  place,  and 
I  hope  will  not.  I  have  a  horror  of  war,  whether  in 
Europe  or  in  Africa.  Even  these  little  wars,  which 
are  of  no  account  in  Europe,  yet  are  enough  to  cost 
the  lives  of  many  concerned,  and  to  devastate  whole 
neighbourhoods.  Whoever  is  victor  does  not  fail  to 
make  the  unfortunate  white  man  pay  heavily,  although 
he  had  no  part  whatever  in  the  affair. 

"  But,  thank  God,  hitherto  we  have  been  preserved 
from  all  danger,  and  long  may  peace  reign ! 

"  Recently  I  got  (from  Ashe)  two  charming  works 
by  Professor  Westcott,  of  Cambridge, — one  called 
'  The  Revelation  of  the  Risen  Lord,'  and  the  other 
'  The  Gospel  of  the  Resurrection.'  The  former  of 
these  is,  most  likely,  the  more  popular,  because  sim- 
pler ;  but  the  latter  is,  to  my  mind,  superior.  It  is, 
however,  not  light  reading.  Each  page  requires  care- 
ful thought  and  close  application,  so  as  to  grasp 
fully  the  meaning. 

*•  Perhaps  the  reading  which  I  have  most  enjoyed  of 
a  general  character,  for  the  last  two  or  three  years, 
has  been  the    Contemporary  Revieiv.     In  one  of  the 


*  At  this  time  he  had  not  only  to  protect  the  Mission  property, 
but  also  a  large  quantity  of  goods  which  had  been  sent  up  for 
Stanley  by  the  Emin  Relief  Committee. 


SMALLPOX  RAGING.  387 

last  numbers  of  it  I  read  a  very  able  paper  on  *  Bap- 
tist Theology,'  by  Dr.  Clifford.  It  has  given  me  a 
good  understanding  of  the  characteristic  points  of 
view  held  by  your  denomination.  I  enjoyed  the 
article  very  much. 

"  Smallpox  is  raging  everywhere  about,  and  I  have 
vaccinated  hosts  of  people — old  and  young.  This 
year  my  own  household  has  escaped  the  disease,  but 
last  year  we  had  many  deaths ;  while  one  year  in 
Uganda  our  Mission  station  was  full  of  it,  and  deaths 
were  numerous.  It  is  a  dreadful  scourge  in  Africa. 
Perhaps  the  *  plague '  of  Uganda  is  worse,  but  that 
dreadful  disease  seems  to  be  confined  to  the  north 
side  of  the  Lake. 

"  No  news  yet  of  Stanley.  It  seems  not  to  be 
generally  known  that  Stanley,  after  arriving  at  Wade- 
lai,  would  have  a  most  difficult  task  to  perform  ;  viz., 
to  reduce  Emin's  province  to  allegiance.  I  know 
that  all  his  Egyptian  officers  were  in  a  state  of  all 
but  mutiny,  each  one  holding  his  own  fort !  Emin 
had  to  rely  on  his  black  soldiers  only,  as  Gordon  did. 
Otherwise  he  would  have  been  either  murdered  or 
expelled  long  ago.  But  we  must  also  remember  that 
all  the  Egyptian  officers  there  were  sent  there  origi- 
nally as  criminals.  The  Equator  was  the  Botany  Bay 
of  Egypt.  Dr.  Junker  knows  this,  but  I  am  not 
aware  that  he  heis  made  the  matter  public." 


jSS  DRIVEN    OUT. 


To  HIS  Father  :— 

"  USAMBIRO,  Oct.  26th,  1888. 

*  *  *  * 

"Are  you  gifted  with  second  sight  ?  In  your  last 
(June  14th)  you  say  of  Mwanga  that  'his  day  is 
coming  pretty  fast.' 

"  Mwanga's  day  has  come.  Uganda  has  rebelled, 
and  the  poor  king  has  had  to  flee,  getting  into  his 
canoe  with  some  boys  and  women,  and  paddling  for 
dear  life,  till  he  reached  Magu,  where  he  is  being  at 
present  fleeced  by  the  Arabs  of  all  he  has  (only  a  few 
rifles)  for  food  and  clothing.  After  he  has  spent  all, 
he  will  learn  to  be  in  want.  I  have  already  sent  for 
him  to  come  here,  that  I  may  help  him  on  the  way 
to  the  coast,  as  if  the  Baganda  come  after  him,  they 
will  surely  put  him  to  death.  I  should  willingly  do 
my  utmost  to  save  the  poor  creature's  life,  in  spite  of 
all  his  cruelties  and  murders  ;  even  although  I  run 
no  little  risk  in  helping  him,  for  the  Arabs  will 
try  to  make  capital  out  of  him,  while  the  Baganda 
may  complain  that  I  stole  away  their  king.  He  was 
afraid  to  come- away  from  Magu  with  only  my  men, 
lest  the  Arabs  should  send  after  him  and  arrest  him. 
He  implores  me  to  go  to  fetch  him  myself,  and  take 
him  anywhere  I  like,  or  slay  him  if  I  like  !  Or  he  is 
ready  to  go  with  me  to  England,  which  he  has  heard 
is  an  asylum  for  deposed  kings.  But  I  am  unwilling 
to  risk  going  to  Magu,  lest  Walker  and  Gordon 
might  get  into  trouble,  in  Uganda,  through  any  in- 
discretion   of  mine.     I   must  try,  once  more,  to  send 


IN  THE  MIDST  OF  A   FIGHT.  389 

and  persuade  the  timid  fugitive  to  get  away  from 
the  Arabs'  clutches,  and  come  here,  where  I  shall  do 
what  I  can  to  help  him  on  the  road  southwards. 

"  Here  our  Mission  station  has  just  been  again  in 
great  danger  from  war.  The  chief  of  Msalala,  ex- 
asperated that  we  deserted  him  and  came  here,  col- 
lected a  large  army  and  came  last  week  and  attacked 
Makolo,  our  chief  here.  The  fighting  lasted  three 
days,  and  villages  have  been  burnt  and  lives  lost,  but 
our  chief  was  strongly  reinforced  by  Roma's  people, 
and  succeeded  in  beating  the  enemy.  I  had  to  pre- 
pare to  defend  the  Mission  people  and  property,  and 
had  an  anxious  time  of  watching  night  and  day  in 
case  of  an  attack  ;  but,  thank  God,  we  were  preserved 
untouched.  Of  course  I  was  prepared  to  pay  a  heavy 
indemnity,  rather  than  have  to  fight,  if  the  invaders 
would  consent  to  negotiate  ;  but  as  they  were  defeated, 
they  left  decidedly  crestfallen.  Mr.  Deekes  has  just 
come  down  from  Nasa  on  a  visit,  so  I  have  the 
pleasure  of  companionship  once  more.  I  hope,  too, 
that  by  Christmas,  at  least  one  of  our  new  men  will 
get  this  length. 

"  I  have  been  busy,  when  I  am  not  supervising 
building  work,  retranslating  St.  John's  Gospel  into 
Luganda." 


"USAMBIRO,  Dec.  ()th,  il 

"  A  number  of  our  Christian    people  in   Uganda 

succeeded  in    escaping    during    the    recent  turmoils 

there,  and   are  now  settled  with  us.     I   make  them 


390  DRIVEN  OUT. 


work  (something  new  to  them)  for  their  food  and 
clotlies.  This  is  a  most  valuable  discipline.  We  are 
hoeing  our  ground  and  getting  the  seed  in.  Rains 
are  plentiful  so  far,  and  I  hope  will  continue  so.  With 
so  many  mouths  to  feed,  this  is  an  important  matter. 
I  value  much  your  advice  as  to  training  the  best  of 
our  converts  as  evangelists.  Hitherto  it  was  penal 
for  Baganda  to  kave  their  native  country.  Now  I 
fear  the  most  of  the  Christians  there  have  had  to  flee 
for  their  lives,  before  the  Mohammedan  ascendency. 
Those  who  have  come  here  Gordon  and  I  are  doing 
our  best  to  teach.  They  are  eager  to  learn,  and  quite 
exemplary  in  their  conduct.  We  do  hope  that,  one 
day,  the  Lord  will  use  them  as  teachers  of  their  fel- 
low-countrymen when  the  way  opens  for  their  return. 
Some  of  them  are  very  good  readers,  and  will  prove 
a  great  help  in  translation  work.  I  think  I  told  you 
that  I  am  re- writing  St.  John's  Gospel — some  of  which 
is  more  difficult  than  Matthew.  I  much  enjoy  giving 
them  their  daily  instruction  in  the  Scriptures,  as  the 
language  is  now  familiar  to  me,  and  the  work  so 
encouraging.  It  is  quite  a  relief  from  the  toil  of 
secular  duties  which  meantime  occupy  so  much  of  my 
time.  Already  Gordon's  presence  is  of  much  help  to 
me  ;  but  the  secular  duties  must  be  done,  and  there 
is  no  one  here  to  relieve  me  of  them." 

*' USAMBIRO, /dz;/.  26///,  1889. 
"  Even  here  we  have  some  cause  for   alarm.     Per- 
haps you  remember  the  name  of  an  Arab — AH  bin 


AN  ARAB'S   TREACHERY.  391 

Sultan  —  who  gave  me  much  trouble  in  Uganda  by  his 
intrigues.  I  reported  his  behaviour  to  the  Consulate 
General,  so  when  Ali  went  to  the  coast  he  was  sum- 
moned before  the  Sultan.  Colonel  Euan  Smith  wrote 
me :  '  The  Sultan  and  I  have  given  him  such  a 
frightening  that  he  is  not  likely  to  try  such  games 
again.'  That  was,  of  course,  before  the  war  at  the 
coast  began.  Ali  has  now  been  many  months  at 
Unyanyembe,  but  recently  sent  to  Roma  (our  king), 
begging  leave  to  pass  this  way  on  his  road  to 
Uganda.  Roma  would  doubtless  agree,  hoping  to 
get  a  good  haul  of  tribute  out  of  the  Arab's  caravan, 
but  I  have  sent  to  Roma  to  inform  him  that  I  have 
heard  the  reason  of  the  Arab's  wishing  to  come  this 
way  (a  road  no  Arab  has  ever  come  before),  viz.,  to 
attempt  treachery  against  Gordon  and  myself.  My 
messengers  have  not  yet  returned  from  Roma's 
capital,  but  I  scarcely  expect  that  Roma,  even  for 
the  sake  of  considerable  bribes  from  the  Arab,  will 
turn  against  me.  We  are  in  God's  hands,  and  He 
has  never  yet  allowed  these  Arabs  to  prevail  entirely 
with  the  natives  against  us." 

"March  21st,  1889. 

"  You  know  that  we  mean  (D.V.)  to  build  a  steam 
launch,  for  facilitating  communication  on  the  Lake, 
on  the  shores  of  which  we  hope  to  establish  several 
stations. 

"I  have  just  received  some  seventy  loads  of  rivets, 
fittings,  rope,   paint,  etc.,  for  this  vessel,  for  which  I 


392  DRIVEN  OUT. 


am  collecting  the  needed  timber.  Some  time  ago  I 
wrote  you  of  my  felling  trees  in  the  forest  some  ten 
to  twenty  miles  distant.  The  problem  then  was 
to  have  these  conveyed  to  this  station.  I  found  that 
the  logs  were  too  heavy  either  to  drag  or  to  have 
carried  by  all  the  men  I  could  muster.  I  therefore 
set  to  work  and  made  a  strong  four-wheeled  wagon 
with  which  to  fetch  the  logs  entire  here.  This  has 
proved  quite  a  success,  and  already  we  have  dragged 
a  log  weighing  a  ton  and  a  half  to  this  place  with  no 
difficulty.  It  is  the  first  wheeled  vehicle  ever  seen  in 
this  region  since  the  world  began,  with  the  exception 
of  an  iron  wheelbarrow  which  was  used  by  De  Les- 
seps  in  the  construction  of  the  Suez  Canal.  General 
Gordon  had  got  it  conveyed  to  the  Equatorial 
Soudan,  and  Dr.  Junker  brought  it  to  Uganda,  and  I 
had  it  shipped  over  here.  This  wheelbarrow  has 
proved  a  marvel  to  the  natives ;  but  the  ease  with 
which  our  wagon  rolls  along,  with  a  large  log  on  the 
top  of  it,  is  a  far  greater  wonder  still. 

"  Gordon  is  still  with  me,  and  a  great  help  in  the 
teaching.  Our  pupils  from  Uganda  are  behaving 
very  well.  I  read  with  them  for  an  hour  or  two  every 
evening,  and  more  on  Sundays.  This  profits  them, 
and  keeps  myself  from  forgetting  Luganda  ;  so  that 
when  my  assistant  Fraser  comes,  and  relieves  me  of 
much  of  the  secular  work,  I  shall  be  able  to  resume 
my  work  of  translating  the  Scriptures  into  the  lan- 
guage.    Meantime  I  have  to  lay  that  work  aside. 

"  Many  thanks  for  the  tin  case  you  kindly  sent  me, 


IN  THE  DRIPPING  FOREST.  393 


containing  much  that  I  highly  value.  The  cups  and 
saucers,  etc.,  all  unbroken !  and  the  books  will  all  be 
a  great  pleasure  to  me  to  read  ;  but  most  of  all  I  value 
the  '  Missionary  Review  of  the  World.'  It  is  an  ex- 
cellent publication.     Please  send  it  to  me  regularly." 

"USAMBIRO,  June  ph,  1889. 

#  4:  *  :K 

**  Here  we  are  fortunately  some  distance  off  from 
Arabs,  but  those  at  Magu  sent  to  Kalema,  the  king 
of  Uganda,  and  got  him  to  send  a  message  to  Roma, 
demanding  him  to  expel  us  from  here.  Roma,  how- 
ever, replied  that  *  this  country  is  his,  and  not  part 
of  Uganda,  and  he  would  no  more  think  of  driving 
us  away  than  of  expelling  his  own  sons.' 

"  The  month  of  April  I  spent  in  the  forest  with  a 
gang  of  labourers,  felling  trees  and  dressing  them  for 
sawing,  and  transporting  them  by  our  own  made 
wagon  to  convenient  centres.  It  was  very  wet,  being 
the  rainiest  month  in  the  year,  and  the  long  dripping 
grass,  six  feet  high,  was  often  very  unpleasant. 
Finally  I  had  to  give  up,  as  the  ground  got  too  soft 
for  the  wheels  ;  but  the  dry  season  has  now  set  in, 
and  I  hope  soon  to  return.  Meantime,  I  am  having 
a  strong  stockade  made  all  round  the  Mission  pre- 
mises. Recently  we  have  had  much  trouble  with 
a  leopard,  which  day  after  day  broke  into  our 
goats'  house  at  night,  and  made  terrible  havoc  among 
our  goats  and  calves.  Altogether,  it  killed  thirty 
sheep  and  goats.     We  strengthened  the  building  so 


394  DRIVEN  OUT. 

that  it  could  no  more  break  through,  and  afterwards 
we  built  a  huge  trap,  by  which  last  night  we  captured 
the  brute,  and  to-day  we  have  stretched  his  skin  in 
the  sun  to  dry.     .     .     . 

"  You  ask  me  if  I  could  enjoy  a  romp  with  the 
children.  I  believe  I  could,  if  I  were  with  you  and 
could  bring  myself  for  a  time  to  forget  the  miseries 
of  Africa.  But  I  fear  I  have  become  very  morose, 
though  I  do  enjoy  having  black  children  about  me 
every  day.  I  am  generally  friends  with  the  children 
everywhere,  although  in  some  villages  they  are  terri- 
fied and  run  from  me — just  as  children  in  England 
would  be  terrified  at  a  black  man.  All  this  fear 
abates  after  a  time,  and  we  are  on  the  best  of  terms. 

"  I  have  enjoyed  more  than  I  can  say  Cook's 
'  Monday  Lectures,'  of  which  you  sent  me  most 
kindly  three  volumes.  They  are  indeed  admirable, 
and  I  have  learned  much  from  them.  I  shall  ever  be 
grateful  to  you  for  this  most  valuable  gift.  I  have 
read  recently,  with  much  interest,  two  other  books  I 
got  from  England  by  last  caravan — '  Future  Retri- 
bution,' by  Prebendary  Row,  and  '  Christianity,  Is- 
lam, and  the  Negro  Race,'  by  Dr.  Blyden,  himself  a 
negro,  president  of  a  College  in  Liberia,  and  a  most 
remarkable  man. 

"Almost  every  day  I  get  a  few  hours  at  transla- 
tional  work  ;  the  Gospel  of  St.  John  I  am  just  now 
at.  It  is  really  far  more  difficult  than  I  imagined. 
In  the  evenings  I  read  with  our  more  advanced 
pupils,  who  are  making  satisfactory  progress.     I  have 


niS  BRETHREN  IN  DANGER.  395 

also  always  some  work  in  hand  in  iron  and  wood,  or 
building  in  brick.  Just  now  I  am  busy  riveting  to- 
gether our  boiler,  which  I  mean  to  use  with  the  steam 
engine  (intended  ultimately  for  our  boat),  to  saw  up 
the  logs  I  have  been  felling  in  the  forest.  But  I 
need  not  weary  you  with  details  of  my  every-day  toil. 
In  this  part  of  the  world,  where  appliances  are  few, 
one  has  to  contrive  odd  methods  of  doing  what  in 
England  you  have  only  to  order  and  pay  for,  and  it  is 
done  at  once." 

"E.  USAMBIRO,  Wi  Jjine,  1889. 
"  I  have  begged  Walker  and  Deekes  to  come  back 
here,  as  I  am  very  afraid  of  them  where  they  are, 
only  a  few  miles  from  the  treacherous  Arabs  at 
Magu.  I  fear,  too,  for  our  brethren  remaining  down 
country — one  at  Mamboya,  one  at  Mpwapwa,  and  one 
at  Kisokwe.  I  am  writing  to  them  also  to  come  up 
here,  as  they  are  too  near  danger  where  they  are.  I 
fear  they  will  be  unwilling  to  come,  but  I  think  that 
if  they  are  wise  they  will  do  so.  These  Arabs  at  the 
coast  are  more  like  brigands  ;  and  like  to  capture 
defenceless  white  men,  for  whom  they  receive  a  heavy 
ransom.  One  German — Dr.  Meyers — they  made  a 
prisoner  at  Pangani,  and  put  him  in  the  slave  chain, 
making  him  work  like  a  slave.  He  ransomed  him- 
self for  ;^i,ooo,  besides  having  to  pay  p^soo  more  to 
a  Hindu  to  advance  the  money.  You  will  have  heard 
of  the  German  Catholic  missionaries  whom  they 
seized  at  Dar-es-Salaam  (2  freres  and  one  sister).     For 


396  DRIVEN  OUT. 


these  they  demand  6,000  rupees,  besides  the  release 
of  all  the  Arab  slavers  captured  by  the  Germans. 
They  had  already  killed  three  of  the  German  mission- 
aries, and  more  recently  they  massacred  an  English 
missionary — Brooks,  of  the  L.M.S.,  near  the  coast. 
He  was  on  his  way  home. 

"  I  have  little  news  here,  except  wretched  wars  in 
the  neighbourhood.  Happily,  we  are  in  peace  here, 
and  I  hope  for  long.  Our  chief,  Makolo,  has  been 
laid  up  for  months,  and  has  been  killing  people  who 
he  fancies  bewitched  him.  We  succeeded  in  saving 
the  life  of  one  poor  man  whom  they  were  dragging  to 
execution.  The  others  we  were  too  late  in  hearing 
of.  They  were  killed  before  we  arrived  at  the  place. 
Poor  deluded  heathen,  they  find  out  who  are  sorcerers 
by  examining  the  entrails  of  a  fowl.  But  it  is  not  so 
long  since  they  used  to  accuse  people  of  witchcraft  in 
Christian  Scotland,  and  burn  them  on  the  Calton  hill.'' 

"  USAMBIRO,  ird  Oct.,  1889. 

"On  2nd  Sept.  I  sent  a  ic^w  lines  to  Ventnor.  On 
that  occasion  I  mentioned  the  arrival  here  of  Mr. 
Stanley,  Emin  Pasha,  and  several  other  Europeans. 

"After  resting  at  this  station  for  nearly  three  weeks, 
they  resumed  their  march  to  the  coast.  Only  a  few 
days  after  starting,  the  natives  opposed  their  pro- 
gress, and  they  seem  to  have  had  to  fight  for  their 
lives.  How  they  have  fared  since,  I  cannot  tell,  only 
I  hear  rumours  of  their  having  had  to  fight  again 
further  on. 


DISTINGUISHED   GUESTS.  397 

"  I  can  assure  you  it  was  an  agreeable  change  to 
me,  to  see  nearly  a  dozen  white  faces  all  at  once,  and 
to  enjoy  for  twenty  days  the  pleasant  company  of 
gentlemen — mostly  English. 

"  Gordon  and  Walker  had  only  started  for  Sesse 
the  day  before  Mr.  Stanley  arrived ;  and  although  I 
sent  quickly  to  recall  them  that  they  might  hear  the 
news  from  the  Soudan,  my  messengers  failed  to  over- 
take them. 

"  I  must  say  that  I  much  enjoyed  Mr.  Stanley's 
company  during  his  short  stay  here.  He  is  some- 
times unsparing  in  his  criticisms  on  men  and  their 
actions  ;  but  being  a  man  of  strong  resolution,  he 
naturally  has  little  patience  with  feebleness  or  vacil- 
lation in  others.  He  is  a  man  of  an  iron  will  and 
sound  judgment,  and  besides  is  most  patient  with  the 
natives.  He  never  allows  any  one  of  his  followers 
to  oppress  or  even  insult  a  native.  If  he  has  had 
occasionally  to  use  force  in  order  to  effect  a  passage, 
I  am  certain  that  he  only  resorted  to  arms  when  all 
other  means  failed.  I  much  fear  that  those  who  con- 
demn him  most  know  him  least,  nor  do  they  probably 
know  anything  at  all  of  the  difficulties  of  African 
travel. 

"  His  officers  show  a  fine  spirit  of  prompt  and 
cheerful  obedience  to  orders.  Their  eagerness  to 
execute  at  a  moment's  notice  every  wish  of  their 
leader  speaks  highly  for  them,  and  is  no  doubt  the 
secret  of  the  success  of  this  most  arduous  under- 
taking. 


398  DRIVEN  OUT. 


"I  am  very  sorry  that  no  mail  came  from  the 
coast  during  the  stay  of  the  travellers  here,  as  they 
have  been  without  almost  any  letters  from  Europe 
since  they  started,  nearly  three  years  ago.  Many 
letters  for  them,  as  well  as  boxes  of  clothing,  etc.,  for 
Emin  Pasha  did  come  up  country  last  year,  and  were 
forwarded  to  Uganda,  where  all  were  destroyed  when 
the  Mission  there  was  looted.  Happily  I  had  de- 
tained here  some  later  mails,  but  nothing  later  than 
this  time  last  year  ;  but  even  these  were  some  com- 
fort to  the  weary  travellers.  We  ourselves  also  have 
had  no  papers  or  magazines  for  a  whole  year,  owing 
to  the  war  at  the  coast  ;  but  I  tried  to  make  up  for 
this  deficiency  by  reading  aloud  to  Mr.  Stanley  and 
the  others  every  allusion  to  his  expedition  in  your 
letters,  and  in  those  from  Ventnor.  All  were  much 
amused  at  the  rare  surmises  in  England  regarding 
the  fate  of  the  Expedition. 

**  I  did  what  little  I  could  in  the  way  of  feeding  and 
clothing  the  half-starved  and  half-clad  officers  and 
others.  I  only  hope  that  they  found  themselves, 
on  leaving  this  place,  in  greater  bodily  comfort  than 
they  enjoyed  when  they  arrived." 

"USAMBIRO,  Dec.  i6th,  1889. 
"At  last,  after  many  months  of  expectation,  a 
whole  budget  of  your  valuable  letters  has  arrived. 
In  Africa  we  are  like  the  London  poor  :  we  have  either 
a  feast  or  a  fast.  But  not  a  single  newspaper  or  maga- 
azine  yet  to  hand,  so  that  I  cannot  thank  you  as  I 


AFRICANS  ARE    GREAT  IMITATORS,  399 

would  for  the  many  good  things  in  that  way  which 
you  have,  from  time  to  time,  sent  me.  One  day  soon 
these  will  all  come — a  cart-load  of  them — and  then 
you  must  expect  me  to  write  little,  for  I  shall  have 
so  much  to  read. 

"  I  have  seen  a  most  favourable  review  of  Ashe's 
book  in  the  CMS.  Intelligencer,  which  was  kindly 
sent  us  a  look  of  from  Kisokwe,  by  Wood.  I  hope 
you  like  the  work,  and  that  it  has  given  you  a  fairly 
good  idea  of  life  and  work  in  this  region.  I  know  it 
is  next  to  impossible  for  you  to  fully  realize  the  sort 
of  world  we  live  in  here ;  just  as  these  natives  can 
never  form  a  just  conception  of  life  in  England. 
Perhaps  they  even  can  form  a  somewhat  truer  fancy 
of  English  ways  than  English  people  can  form  of 
their  ways,  for  they  closely  observe  us  daily  and 
hourly,  and  see  how  we  go  in  and  out,  how  we  eat 
and  drink  and  clothe  ourselves.  They  see  us  with 
houses  and  chairs  and  tables,  and  books  and  lamps, 
and  many  other  things  European.  But  you  have  no 
black  men  before  your  eyes,  nor  if  you  had,  would 
you  likely  see  them  living  as  Africans  do  in  their  own 
land.  We  do  not  as  a  rule  ape  the  African  here,  but 
the  African  in  Europe  is  pretty  certain  to  ape  the 
white  man.  Imitation  is  often  the  truest  form  of 
flattery. 

Alas  !  for  those  poor  people  who  live  to  eat,  and 
call  themselves  Christians,  while  all  their  thoughts 
are  absorbed  in  pleasing  self.  Like  Dives,  they  fare 
sumptuously   every  day,  but    cast  never   a  thought 


400  DRIVEN  OUT. 


on  the  millions  of  starving  Lazaruses  who  lie  near 
their  gates  full  of  sores.  It  will  all  be  required  of 
them  one  day.  Their  pushing  their  iniquitous  whisky 
traffic  at  the  ends  of  the  earth  is  also  only  for  their 
own  greed  of  gain.  Such  mighty  graves  of  hypocrisy 
must  be  unearthed  by  God's  faithful  servants  ;  and 
then  ill-gotten  gain  will  hide  its  face  in  shame,  and 
mayhap  repent.     *  But  it  is  easier  for  a  camel,'  etc. 

"  The  charter  of  the  new  East  African  Company 
forbids  the  importation  of  drink  and  gunpowder. 
That  is  a  fact  of  great  moment ;  and  I  am  most 
glad  to  hear  of  the  new  South  African  Company 
being  chartered  on  the  same  lines.  May  God's  richest 
blessing  rest  on  every  effort  made  in  that  direction. 

*'  The  report  of  Stanley  being  in  Uyui  on  the  east 
side  of  the  lake,  and  of  the  Pasha  being  in  Kavirondo, 
was  entirely  fabulous.  What  would  not  all  your 
sages  of  the  reading  public  have  given  to  know,  what 
Deekes  and  I  alone  knew — where  and  how  Stanley 
and  his  expedition  were,  when  they  were  here  .•*  I  wrote 
you  all  about  them  in  my  last  two  despatches,  and 
now  you  will  know  more  than  I  do,  for  by  this  time 
they  must  have  reached  the  coast.  I  heard  from  Mr. 
Stanley  last  when  he  was  in  Ugogo.  I  think  he,  and 
his  officers,  and  the  Pasha  enjoyed  their  three  weeks' 
stay  here,  I  could  use  no  ceremony  with  them,  and 
simply  gave  them  plain  food — '  family  broth  ' — and 
plenty  of  it.  Rags,  it  is  true,  most  of  them  were  in  ; 
but  I  hope  they  left  a  little  better  provided  in  that 
way   than   they   arrived.     Only   a   little,    mind,    not 


THE    ''BRITISH   WEEKLY."  401 

much ;  for  so  great  a  number  of  Europeans  at  once 
coming  on  a  new  station,  when  I  had  not  much  in  the 
way  of  supplies,  meant  very  Httle  relief  for  each  in- 
dividually. You  must  remember  that  1  had  left  most 
of  my  private  effects  in  Uganda,  and  these  were  all 
lost  there,  while  Walker  and  Gordon  arrived  here 
with  nothing,  and  had  to  be  provided  with  necessaries. 
They  had  only  started  back  for  Uganda  the  day 
before -the  Stanley  Expedition  came  here. 

"  Many  thanks  for  the  ^cuttings  from  the  British 
Weekly  and  other  papers.  I  am  so  glad  you  sent  me 
these  enclosures  in  your  letters,  as  no  newspapers 
have  reached  me  since  early  in  October,  1888  (four- 
teen months  since).  Many  of  our  letters  have  been 
stolen,  and  those  that  did  arrive  were  secreted  some- 
times in  a  bale  of  cotton,  sometimes  in  a  bag  of 
meal  !  You  have  told  me  much  about  the  British 
Weekly,  and  I  am  looking  forward  to  perusing  them 
with  interest  when  they  come — a  whole  pile — one 
day.  The  editor  is  my  old  fellow-student — William 
Robertson  Nicoll. 

"I  have  read  two  books  by  Meyer,  of  Regent's 
Park — '  Israel '  and  '  Elijah.'  Both  are  excellent.  I 
believe  he  has  been  writing  on  Abraham  also,  but  I 
do  not  know  if  the  sermons  are  published  in  book  form. 
These  grand  old  heroes  are  well  worth  careful  study, 
for  human  nature  is  always  very  much  the  same,  and 
it  is  the  same  stuff,  too,  which  makes  some  men  in  all 
ages  shine  above  their  fellows.  Of  one  thing  I  feel 
sure,  nothing  could  be  better  for  rousing  the  spiritual 

A.  M.  M.  26 


402  DRIVEN  OUT. 


life  of  a  congregation,  and  leading  it  on  to  higher  life, 
than  the  cultivating  of  the  spirit  of  Missions.  The 
progress  of  the  kingdom  of  God  in  the  world  is  a 
study  well  calculated  to  enlarge  the  mind  and  soul, 
and  rescue  torpid  congregations  from  their  self- 
satisfied  ease.  What  a  power  for  good  would  be  our 
home  millions  of  Christians,  if  really  alive  to  their 
privilege  and  duty  in  helping  forward  the  work  of 
God  in  all  lands  ! 

"  You  will  not  be  astonished  to  hear,  after  what  I 
told  you  in  my  last,  that  Mwanga  is  once  more  king 
of  Uganda.  An  otd  pupil  of  mine,  Kagera  Apollo,  is 
now  appointed  Katikiro.  All  the  other  chieftainships 
have  been  equally  divided  between  the  Protestants 
and  Roman  Catholics.  Mwanga  was  carried  with 
great  rejoicing  to  his  old  capital  Mengo,  exactly  a 
year  after  the  Christians  had  been  expelled  by  the 
Arab  party.  The  whole  land  has  been  the  scene  of 
fighting  and  bloodshed  for  a  twelvemonth  ;  and  of 
course  nothing  was  done  to  cultivation,  so  that  on  all 
sides  there  is  much  hunger.  I  believe  our  people 
mean  to  keep  a  firm  control  over  Mwanga,  that  he 
may  not  break  out  again  into  his  former  fits  of  cruelty 
and  oppression.  I  have  been  trying  to  foster  this  as 
much  as  possible,  as  a  limited  constitution  is  the  best 
guarantee  for  peace  and  liberty.  Pere  Lourdel,  on  the 
other  hand,  bids  his  pupils  leave  Mwanga  a  free  rein, 
while  Jie  personally  will  try  to  control  him  !  Roma 
sonper  eadeni  We  shall  see  who  will  win  the  day. 
History    repeats   itself,   and    history   is  on  my  side. 


STANLEY  MEETS  MACKAY.  403 

Priest-ridden  kings  have  lost  their  heads  before  now. 
Only  King  Mwanga  is  more  likely  to  adopt  the  tac- 
tics of  Henry  VIII.,  and  show  this  miniature  Wolsey 

right  about. 

*  Oh,  how  wretched 
Is  that  poor  man  that  hangs  on  princes'  favours  !' 

"  Our  reinforcements  of  last  year  seem  to  have 
mostly  stuck  for  good  at  Mombasa,  while  some  have 
returned  to  England,  and  we  have  no  word  of  more 
being  sent  us.  On  the  other  hand,  the  Papists  are 
throwing  a  large  force  of  priests  into  Uganda,  and 
will  now  strain  every  nerve  to  win  the  land  for  Rome. 
I  sometimes  wish  I  were  there  to  stir  up  our  people 
to  stand  for  God's  word  and  liberty,  and  save  their 
country  from  the  yoke  of  Popery.  But  I  am,  mean- 
time, a  fixture  here,  and  can  only  work  by  counselling 
Walker  and  Gordon,  and  such  of  our  elders  and 
others  as  come  here  occasionally.  Now  is  a  weighty 
crisis,  and  great  tact  and  diligence  will  be  required  to 
establish  the  right." 

We  here  quote  Dr.  H.  M.  Stanley's  description  of 
the  mission  station  at  Usambiro,  " In  Darkest  Africa,'* 
Vol.  II.  p.  386. 

"The  next  day,  having  already  sent  messengers 
ahead,  that  we  might  not  take  Mr.  Mackay,  of  the 
Church  Missionary  Society,  by  surprise,  we  arrived 
in  view  of  the  English  Mission,  which  was  built  in  the 
middle  of  what  appeared  to  be  no  better  than  a  grey 


404  DRIVEN  OUT. 


waste,  on  ground  gently  sloping  from  curious  heaps 
of  big  boulders,  or  enormous  blocks  thrown  higgledy- 
piggledy  to  the  height  of  a  respectable  hill,  down  to 
a  marshy  flat  green  with  its  dense  crop  of  papyrus, 
beyond  which  we  saw  a  gleam  of  a  line  of  water, 
produced  from  an  inlet  of  the  Victoria  Nyanza.  We 
were  approaching  the  mission  by  a  wagon  track,  and 
presently  we  came  to  the  wagon  itself,  a  simple  thing 
on  wooden  wheels,  for  carrying  timber  for  building. 
There  was  not  a  green  thing  in  view,  except  in  the 
marsh  ;  grass  all  dead,  trees  either  shrunk,  withered, 
or  dead,  at  least  there  was  not  the  promise  of  a  bud 
anywhere,  which  was  of  course  entirely  due  to  the 
dry  season.  When  we  were  about  half  a  mile  off,  a 
gentleman  of  small  stature,  with  a  rich  brown  beard 
and  brown  hair,  dressed  in  white  linen  and  a  grey 
Tyrolese  hat,  advanced  to  meet  us. 

"  '  And  so  you  are  Mr.  Mackay  ?  Mwanga  did  not 
get  you  then,  this  time .-'  What  experiences  you 
must  have  had  with  that  man  !  But  you  look  so 
well,  one  would  say  you  had  been  to  England 
lately.' 

"  '  Oh,  no  ;  this  is  my  twelfth  ^  year.  Mwanga  per- 
mitted me  to  leave,  and  the  Rev.  Cyril  Gordon  took 
my  place  ;  but  not  for  long,  since  they  were  all  shortly 
after  expelled  from  Uganda.' 

"  Talking  thus,  we  entered   the  circle  of  tall  poles, 

'  Mackay  anived  in  Africa  in  May,  1876,  so  that  it  was 
really  his  fourteenth  year. 


WHAT  STANLEY  SAW.  40S 

within  which  the  mission  station  was  built.  There 
were  signs  of  labour,  and  constant  unwearying 
patience,  sweating  under  a  hot  sun,  a  steadfast  deter- 
mination to  do  something  to  keep  the  mind  emplo3'ed, 
and  never  let  idleness  find  them  with  folded  hands 
brooding  over  the  unloveliness,  lest  despair  might 
seize  them,  and  cause  them  to  avail  themselves  of  the 
speediest  means  of  ending  their  misery.  There  was 
a  big,  solid  workshop  in  the  yard,  filled  with  machinery 
and  tools,  a  launch's  boiler  was  being  prepared  by 
the  blacksmiths,  a  big  canoe  was  outside  repairing ; 
there  were  sawpits  and  large  logs  of  hard  timber  ; 
there  were  great  stacks  of  palisade  poles  ;  in  a  corner 
of  an  outer  yard  was  a  cattle-fold  and  a  goat-pen, 
fowls  by  the  score  pecked  at  microscopic  grains ;  and 
out  of  the  European  quarter  there  trooped  out  a 
number  of  little  boys  and  big  boys,  looking  uncom- 
monly sleek  and  happy ;  and  quiet  labourers  came 
up  to  bid  us,  with  hats  off,  *  Good  morning ! ' 

"  Now,  if  there  is  anything  on  God's  earth  better 
calculated  than  work  to  make  men  happy,  it  must  be 
with  some  peculiar  dispositions  the  knowledge  that 
their  work  is  ended.  Hence,  when  I  entered  the 
mission-house  my  soul  was  possessed  with  some  such 
feeling  as  this ;  at  any  rate,  before  my  mission  was 
terminated,  the  welcome  we  received  promised  rest 
and  relief. 

"  I  was  ushered  into  the  room  of  a  substantial  clay 
structure,  the  walls  about  two  feet  thick,  evenly 
plastered,    and    garnished   with    missionary    pictures 


406  DRIVEN  OUT. 


and  placards.  There  were  four  separate  ranges  of 
shelves  filled  with  choice,  useful  books.  '  Allah  ho 
Akbar,'  replied  Hassan,  his  Zanzibar!  head-man,  to 
me  ;  '  books !  Mackay  has  thousands  of  books  ;  in 
the  dining-room,  bedroom,  the  church,  everywhere. 
Hooks !  ah,  loads  upon  loads  of  them  ! '  And  while 
I  was  sipping  real  coffee,  and  eating  home-made 
bread  and  butter  for  the  first  time  for  thirty  months, 
I  thoroughly  sympathized  with  Mackay's  love  of 
books.  But  it  becomes  quite  clear  why,  amongst  so 
many  books,  and  children,  and  outdoor  work,  Mackay 
cannot  find  leisure  to  brood  and  become  morbid, 
and  think  of  '  drearinesses,  wildernesses,  despair 
and  loneliness.'  A  clever  writer  lately  wrote  a  book 
about  a  man  who  spent  much  time  in  Africa,  which 
from  beginning  to  end  is  a  long-drawn  wail.  It 
would  have  cured  both  writer  and  hero  of  all  moping 
to  have  seen  the  manner  of  Mackay's  life.  He  has 
no  time  to  fret  and  groan  and  weep  ;  and  God  knows, 
if  ever  man  had  reason  to  think  of  '  graves  and  worms 
and  oblivion,'  and  to  be  doleful  and  lonely  and  sad, 
Mackay  had,  when,  after  murdering  his  bishop,  and 
burning  his  pupils,  and  strangling  his  converts,  and 
ckibbing  to  death  his  dark  friends,  Mwanga  turned 
his  eye  of  death  on  him.  And  yet  the  little  man  met 
it  with  calm  blue  eyes  that  never  winked.  To  see 
one  man  of  this  kind,  working  day  after  day  for 
twelve  years  bravely,  and  without  a  syllable  of  com- 
plaint or  a  moan  amid  the  '  wildernesses,'  and  to  hear 
him  lead  his  little  flock  to  show  forth   God's  loving 


STANLEY'S  ADDRESS  TO  THE  C.M.S.   COMMITTEE.  407 

kindness  in  the  morning,  and  His  faithfulness  every 
night,  is  wortli  going  a  long  journey  for  the  moral 
courage  and  contentment  that  one  derives  from  it. 

"  VVe  stayed  at  the  mission-station  from  the  28th 
of  August  to  the  morning  of  the  17th  of  September  ; 
and  on  the  Europeans  of  the  expedition  the  effect  of 
regular  diet  and  well-cooked  food,  of  amiable  society 
and  perfect  restfulness,  was  marvellous. 

*  -Jt  *  *  * 

"  To  my  great  grief,  I  learn  that  Mr.  Mackay,  the 
best  missionary  since  Livingstone,  died  about  the 
beginning  of  February.  Like  Livingstone  he  declined 
to  return,  though  I  strongly  urged  him  to  accompany 
us  to  the  coast." 

The  committee  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society 
received  Dr.  Stanley  on  July  ist,  when  he  thus  de- 
scribed his  intercourse  with  some  of  the  Christians  of 
Uganda.  This,  it  must  be  remembered,  was  some 
\veeks  before  he  reached  Mackay's  station.  He  was 
marching  through  a  country  called  Ankoli,  where  a 
large  body  of  Christians  had  taken  refuge  when 
driven  out  of  Uganda  by  the  Mohammedans  in  1888  ; 
but  he  knew  nothing  of  this : — 

"  On  arriving  in  Ankoli,  as  I  expected,  we  met  the 
Waganda.  They  gave  a  different  account  of  Uganda 
from  what  we  had  anticipated.  Ankoli  was  supposed 
to  be  tributary  to  Uganda  ;  but  at  the  fall  of  Mwanga, 
Ankoli  became  semi-independent,  and  of  course  some 


4o8  DRIVEN  OUT. 


of  the  Christians  of  Uganda  fled  there  ;  and  soon  after 
our  arrival  in  that  country — the  corner  of  which,  by- 
the-bye,  reaches  down  to  the  Albert  Edward  Lake — 
the  news  was  carried  to  the  capital  that  there  were  a 
number  of  white  men  in  large  force  coming.  After 
we  reached  the  plateau,  the  Waganda  came  in.  They 
were  a  nice,  cleanly  dressed,  sober,  and  independent 
people.  They  had  been  on  our  path,  and  had  found 
on  the  road  one  of  our  haversacks  filled  with  ammu- 
nition, powder,  and  percussion  caps.  They  brought 
it  up  to  me,  and  said  who  they  were.  They  were 
Samuel  and  Zachariah,  of  the  Protestant  Mission  of 
Uganda.  And  they  laid  their  bag  at  my  feet,  and 
when  I  examined  it  I  found  it  contained  ammunition, 
a  property  which  is  very  valuable  there.  Well,  now 
I  had  it  by  my  chair,  and  while  I  was  in  conversation 
a  Mussulman  slipped  his  fingers  there  and  snatched 
it  away,  and  I  never  saw  it  more.  That  Mussulman 
belonged  to  my  force,  and  I  was  so  ashamed  of  it 
that  I  did  not  mention  to  the  visitors  what  had  be- 
come of  it.  But  in  the  evening  they  came  to  see  me. 
They  were  very  diplomatic  ;  and  then,  after  shutting 
the  door,  they  told  us  the  wonderful  story  of  the  de- 
position of  Mwanga,  and  the  growth  of  the  Christian 
Mission,  I  should  have  liked  nothing  better  than  to 
have  had  one  of  these  two  men  in  London,  to  have 
told  it  in  their  own  Suahili,  and  to  have  got  some 
interpreter  to  interpret  sentence  after  sentence.  It 
was  most  graphic,  most  beautiful.  Of  course  I  have 
only  given  the  sense  of  what  they  said.     They  stayed 


BAG  AND  A   HEADING    THE  SCRIPTURES.  409 

with  US  for  three  or  four  days,  and  then  they  de- 
parted. But  they  came  again  in  two  or  three  days 
with  Alexander,  Prince  of  Ankoli,  and  through  their 
assistance  we  were  enabled  to  get  the  whole  of 
Ankoli  to  become  a  part  and  parcel  of  British  East 
Africa. 

"  Now  I  noticed  that  as  soon  as  they  left  my  pre- 
sence, they  went  to  their  own  little  huts,  and  took  out 
little  books  that  they  had  in  their  pockets  in  their 
skirts.  And  one  day  I  called  Samuel  to  me  and 
asked,  *  What  book  is  that  that  you  have  1  I  did  not 
know  that  Waganda  read  books.'  And  that  was  the 
first  time  I  knew  they  had  the  Gospel  in  Luganda. 
Then  I  took  greater  interest,  for  I  found  that  almost 
every  one  of  the  party  had  a  small  pamphlet  in  Lu- 
ganda— prayers,  and  the  Gospel  of  Matthew^,  and,  I 
think,  of  Luke.  I  remember  very  well  seeing  the 
word  Mathaio,  or  Matthew,  on  the  top  of  the  book— 
on  its  title-page.  I  noticed  that  after  the  Conference, 
where  the  princes  and  leaders  of  Ankoli  ceded  their 
country,  they  retired  to  their  huts  and  threw  them- 
selves upon  the  ground,  and  took  out  the  books  and 
began  to  read  them  ;  and  they  gathered  together  and 
began  to  talk.  And  the  question  was  asked  me  by 
one  of  them,  with  a  sort  of  deprecating  smile,  '  Are 
all  white  men  Christians .'' '  That  was  more  than  I 
could  venture  to  say,  though  '  I  hoped,'  of  course, 
•  they  were,'  Then  he  put  a  point-blank  question  to 
me,  and  said,  '  Are  you  a  Christian  } '  Then  I  asked 
iim,  '  Do  you  consider  yourself  a  Christian  .-• '     *  Of 


4IO  DRIVEN  OUT. 


course  I  do,'  he  replied.  '  How  long  have  you  been 
a  Christian  ? '  *  Well,'  he  said,  '  I  am  one  of  Mackay's 
pupils,  and  learnt  from  him ;  and  this  book  was  given 
to  me,  and  to  every  one  of  us.  There  are  about  2,500 
of  us,  all  belonging  to  Mackay's  Mission.'  Now  of 
course  what  was  told  to  us  was  told  to  all  the  officers 
alike,  and  each  of  us  could  form  our  own  impressions. 
Of  course  I  had  bad  impressions  of  Waganda  from 
my  former  connection.  I  knew  they  were  very  in- 
telligent and  diplomatic.  I  knew  that  in  1875  spies 
were  in  my  camp  every  day  for  the  purpose  of  fur- 
nishing a  list  of  the  treasures  I  had  to  Mtesa,  in  order 
that  Mtesa  might  ask  the  next  day,  '  Stanley,  have 
not  you  got  such  and  such  a  thing  "i '  So  that  I  was 
very,  very  careful,  as  you  might  imagine.  Neverthe- 
less, the  meeting  and  parting  were  conducted  on  such 
very  nice  principles,  and  we  parted  very  good  friends, 
and,  as  I  say,  we  kept  our  own  impressions.  Four  of 
these  Christians  followed  us ;  three  to  go  to  the  coast, 
and  one  to  go  to  Mackay. 

"  Arriving  at  Mackay's  place,  of  course  what  we 
lacked  in  information  he  could  fill  in,  and  he  could 
supply  such  information  as  we  had  forgotten, 
perhaps,  or  had  omitted  to  ask.  However,  we 
found  that  the  statements  of  Samuel  and  Zachariah 
were  corroborated  by  Mackay,  and  he  had  a  party  of 
about  twenty-five  Waganda,  who  had  been  pleased 
to  follow  him  in  preference  to  settling  in  Ankoli. 
The  young  boy  who  accompanied  us  also  joined  the 
band,  and  the  three  Waganda  Christians  followed  us 


STANLEY'S  FAITH  IN   UGANDA.  411 

to  Zanzibar,  and  then  to  Mombasa,  where  they  are 
to-day,  probably  with  the  idea  of  going  through 
British  East  Africa  to  Uganda  back  again." 

After  a  pause,  Dr.  Stanley  resumed  : — 

"  I  think  I  may  as  well  tell  you  that  I  have  just  the 
same  faith  in  Uganda  as  I  had  in  1876.  I  am  per- 
fectly convinced  there  is  no  more  desirable  locality 
or  country  in  Africa  than  Uganda.  I  admire  the 
people  immensely ;  they  are  cleanly,  they  are  most 
intelligent,  they  are  always  decent.  They  are  full  of 
traditions  of  their  country,  and  they  are  just  the 
material  where  one  would  expect  Africans  to  become 
good,  thorough,  earnest,  enthusiastic  Christians. 
Now  if  it  were  possible  to  make  Uganda  all  Pro- 
testant, it  would  be  very  much  better  for  the  peace 
of  the  surrounding  country.  Why,  I  should  say  that 
in  a  few  years  from  now  you  would  get  any  number 
of  Waganda  priests,  after  being  ordained  and  all 
that,  to  begin  spreading  the  Word  to  Unyoro  and 
Usogo  and  Kavirondo,  and  the  north-east  of  Lake 
Victoria,  because  they  understand  the  language. 
And  they  are  well  adapted  for  it  ;  they  are  eloquent, 
they  feel  deeply,  they  are  an  emotional  kind  of 
people,  and  they  are  just  the  people  to  remember 
what  they  are  taught. 

"  Another  fact  is,  that  you  could  not  desire  any 
better  experiences  than  those  of  the  Mission  in 
Uganda,  during  the  days  of  the  persecution,  when 
the  converts  were  seized  to  be  put  to  death,  to  be 


412  DRIVEN  OUT. 


massacred,  and  clubbed,  or  to  be  given  away  to  the 
Arabs  as  slaves — such  fortitude,  such  bravery,  such 
courage !  It  is  unexampled  in  the  whole  history  of 
Africa.  The  more  I  heard  the  story  of  Zachariah 
and  Samuel  and  others,  looking  at  their  cleanly  faces, 
hearing  them  tell  the  story  of  how  they  endured  the 
persecutions  of  Mwanga,  I  was  carried  back  to  the 
days  of  Nero  and  Caligula,  how  they  persecuted  the 
Christians  at  Rome ;  just  the  fortitude  I  had  read  in 
books  of  the  martyrs  of  the  early  Church,  Really 
there  were  instances  here  of  equal  courage,  of  equal 
faith,  of  equal  devotion  to  the  cause  they  had  em- 
braced. And  I  think  the  future  of  that  country  will 
be  a  very  bright  one  indeed.^ 

•  "  The  success  of  the  Mission  to  Nyanza  is  proved  by  the 
sacrifices  of  the  converts,  by  their  determined  resistance  to  the 
tyrant,  by  their  successful  deposition  of  him.  I  have  read  some- 
where that  the  recognition  of  belligerents  is  not  permissible 
until  it  is  proved  that  they  can  hold  tlicir  own.  If  this  be  so, 
the  Waganda  converts  have  proved  that  the  Mission  was  a 
success,  and  a  most  remarkable  success.  The  missionaries 
were  compelled  to  bore  deep  down,  and  after  that  the  element 
sprang  up  spontaneously.  After  years  of  baffling  and  unpro- 
mising work  the  converts  flocked  spontaneously  to  the  new 
Church  of  Equatorial  Africa.  Princes  and  peasants,  chiefs  and 
warriors,  came  forward  to  be  instructed  in  the  Christian  reli- 
gion, and  to  be  taught  the  arts  of  reading  and  writing,  and  to 
be  the  proud  possessors  of  printed  books  in  their  own  language, 
treating  of  the  Author  of  salvation  and  His  sufTerings  on  behalf 
of  humanity. 

"  The  progress  of  this  religion  became  alarming  to  the  Mo- 
hammedans and  their  native  sympathizers  ;  but  it  was  not  until 
the  death  of  the  politic  Mtesa  that  they  could  venture  upon  any 


A   RAILWAY   TO    UGANDA.  413 

"  What  little  we  have  endeavoured  to  do  promises 
well  for  the  future.  I  suppose  that  the  railway  will 
be  down  there  in  five  years,  and  that  Uganda  will  be 

plan  to  thwart  its  growth.  The  accession  of  a  boy-prince  to 
the  throne,  and  the  vices,  banghi- smoking,  drunkenness,  and 
licentiousness,  disclosed  the  means  whereby  the  Christians 
might  be  suppressed  ;  and  the  Moslems,  with  a  low,  mean 
craftiness,  and  charged  with  concentrated  malice,  were  not  slow 
to  avail  themselves  of  their  opportunities.  The  young  king, 
despite  the  reputable  character  the  whites  had  won  from  all 
classes  of  the  people,  now  regarded  them  with  thoughts  foully 
perverted  by  unmeasured  slander.  To  his  distorted  view  the 
missionaries  were  men  banded  together  for  the  undermining  of 
his  authority,  for  sapping  the  affections  and  loyalty  of  his  sub- 
jects, and  for  presently  occupying  the  whole  of  Uganda.  These 
various  expeditions,  which,  as  every  one  knew,  were  roaming 
over  the  country,  now  in  Masai-land,  presently  in  Usoga,  then 
again  in  Usukuma  and  Unyamwezi,  the  quarrels  on  the  coast 
between  Seyid  Burgash  and  the  Germans,  the  presence  of  war- 
ships at  Zanzibar,  the  little  colonies  of  Germans  studding  the 
coast-lands — what  else  could  all  these  movements  aim  at  but 
the  forcible  conquest  of  Africa.?  Hence  an  era  of  persecution 
was  initiated  by  the  order  to  burn  and  slay  ;  hence  the  mito- 
da-fi  in  Uganda,  the  murder  of  Bishop  Hannington  and  the 
massacre  of  his  caravan  in  Usoga,  the  doom  that  ever  seemed 
to  be  imminent  over  the  head  of  the  faithful  and  patient 
Mackay,  and  the  menaced  suspension  of  mission  work.  When 
the  Christians  had  scattered  into  their  hiding-places,  and  the 
jealousy  of  the  Moslems  had  cooled,  the  young  king  merged 
into  an  intolerable  despot,  and  murdered  indiscriminately. 
Many  an  eminent  person  in  the  land  fell  a  victim  to  his  sus- 
picions, and  was  ordered  to  be  either  clubbed  to  death  or 
strangled.  It  was  then  the  Mohammedans,  fearing  for  their 
own  lives,  solicited  the  aid  of  the  Christians,  and  the  tyrant  was 
compelled  to  flee  the  kingdom  to  find  leisure  to  repent  during 
his  lake  voyages,  and  finally  to  submit  to  be  baptized." — In 
Darkest  Ajrica. 


414  DRIVEN  OUT. 


connected  with  the  sea ;  and  I  am  quite  sure  the  time 
will  come  when  very  many  will  seek  those  tropical 
paradises  of  Uganda  simply  for  the  pleasure  of 
seeing  such  a  nice  country  and  its  interesting  people, 
made  still  more  interesting  by  the  religion  they  pro- 
fess. Now  that  Mwanga  has  become  a  Christian, 
there  is  no  reason  in  the  world, — seeing,  too,  that  all 
the  principal  officers  of  state  are  Christians, — why 
you  should  not  be  able  to  have  converts  at  the  rate 
of  5,000  or  6,000  a  year.  Only  it  must  be  kept  up. 
I  remember  very  well  what  Samuel  and  Zachariah 
asked,  *  Do  you  think  our  white  friends  will  help  us 
if  we  only  show  them  we  are  men  ?'  I  said,  '  I  really 
cannot  tell  you,  because  the  last  time  I  heard  any- 
thing about  Mwanga  he  had  murdered  the  Bishop.  I 
do  not  therefore  know  what  the  impression  will  be 
now.  I  do  not  know  the  truth  of  the  whole  story, 
but  I  suppose  I  shall  hear  as  I  go  to  the  sea  ;  but 
whatever  I  may  be  able  to  say,  I  will  say  it,  and  say 
it  kindly,  and  I  have  not  the  slightest  doubt  that  if 
they  believe  in  what  I  tell  them  they  will  help  you  to 
the  best  of  their  ability.'  And  they  said,  '  We  will 
pray  to  God.' 

"  Now  you  must  understand  that  these  people's 
church  is  only  a  very  common  hut,  roofed  with  straw, 
and  sides  made  of  mud.  At  the  same  time  it  is  a 
church  ;  and  these  people,  when  they  go  in  and  hear 
the  voice  of  the  preacher,  I  assure  you,  feel  it  just  as 
much  as  though  they  stood  under  the  dome  of  SL 
Paul's  or  at  Westminster." 


MISSION   TO  MOHAMMEDANS, 


"Massudi  and  others  asserted  that  in  Muscat  and  Zanzibai 
we  had  no  men  who  taught  religion,  that  we  only  planted  a 
Consul  and  hoisted  a  flag,  by  way  of  taking  a  sort  of  possession 
in  such  places." — Mac/cay,  Dec.  2yd,  1879. 

"  Do  Christians  understand  the  solemn  nature  of  the  crisis 
which  is  now  upon  us  in  Africa  ?  Within  the  decade  or  two 
will  be  virtually  decided  the  question,  Shall  Islam  rule  Africa? 
Unless  the  Church  arouses  itself  to  more  earnest  activity,  and 
to  more  generous  endeavour,  that  question  will  answer  itself  in 
the  affirmative.  The  last  great  struggle  between  Islam  and 
Christianity  will  be  over  the  possession  and  domination  of 
Central  Africa-" — Regions  Beyond,  July,  1890. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

MISSION  TO  MOHAMMEDANS. 

MACKAY'S  tolerant  spirit  and  fair-mindedness 
towards  all  who  differed  from  him,  and  his 
willingness  to  acknowledge  all  the  good  he  could 
find  amidst  much  evil,  have  been  considered  by  some 
people  as  virtually  an  approval  of  Mohammedanism 
as  a  creed  and  a  system,  and  a  justification  of  some 
harsh  criticisms  which  have  recently  appeared  against 
missionary  societies  and  their  methods  of  prosecuting 
their  work. 

But  with  this  generous  acknowledgment  of  what- 
ever good  he  could  see  either  in  the  creed  or  life  of 
Mohammedans,  he  deeply  deplored  the  glaring  de- 
fects and  vices  and  cruelties  associated  with  the 
system. 

In  the  following  article  he  earnestly  pleads  for  a 
special  Christian  Mission  to  be  planted  at  Muscat, 
the  capital  of  Oman,  the  place  from  which  all  the 
Arabs  who  over-run  Africa,  start,  and  which  they 
consider  their  home.  He  believed  that  this  v/ould 
be  one  of  the  best  possible  means  to  counteract  Mo- 
hammedan influence  in  Africa. 

Writing  to  Mr,  Eugene  Stock,  August  8th,  1888, 

A  M.  M.  417  27 


4i8  MJ6S/0N   TO  MOHAMMEDANS. 

he  says  :  "  I  enclose  a  few  lines  on  a  subject  which 
has  been  weighing  on  my  mind  for  some  time.  I 
shall  not  be  disappointed  if  you  consign  them  to  the 
waste-paper  basket,  and  shall  only  be  too  glad  if,  on 
a  better  representation  on  the  part  of  others,  the 
subject  be  taken  up  and  something  definite  be  done 
for  these  poor  Arabs,  whom  I  respect,  but  who  have 
given  me  much  trouble  in  years  past.  The  best  way 
by  which  we  can  turn  the  edge  of  their  opposition, 
and  convert  their  blasphemy  into  blessing,  is  to  do 
our  utmost  for  their  salvation." 

The  article  is  entitled  "  Muscat,  Zanzibar,  and 
Central  Africa"  : — 

"  At  the  great  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Church 
Missionary  Society,  held  in  Exeter  Hall  on  May  ist, 
1 888,  the  following  resolution  was  adopted  : — 

" '  That  this  Meeting  heartily  endorses  the  action 
of  the  Committee  in  putting  forth  a  special  appeal 
for  picked  men  to  work  amongst  Mohammedans. 
.  .  .  While  the  difficulties  in  the  way  of  mission- 
ary work  in  lands  under  Mohammedan  rule  may  well 
appear  to  the  eye  of  sense  most  formidable,  this 
Meeting  is  firmly  persuaded  that,  so  long  as  the  door 
of  access  to  individual  Mohammedans  is  open,  so 
long  it  is  the  clear  and  bounden  duty  of  the  Church 
of  Christ  to  make  use  of  its  opportunities  for  deliver- 
ing the  Gospel  message  to  them  ;  in  full  expectation 
that  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  will,  in  God's  good 
time,  have  a  signal  manifestation  in  the  triumph  of 
Christianity  in  those  lands.' 


ARABIA,    THE    CRADLE    OF  ISLAM.  419 

"  I  quote  only  the  second  half  of  the  resolution. 
The  first  clause  referred  to  the  claims  of  our  Indian 
Empire  and  the  Mohammedans  there.  That  was 
ably  advocated  by  Sir  Rivers  Thompson,  and  will 
doubtless  never  fail  to  have  hosts  of  powerful  sup- 
porters in  all  time  to  come.  My  subject  is  the 
second  clause,  quoted  above,  which  was  taken  up 
by  the  Rev,  Dr.  Bruce,  who  gave  a  graphic  account 
of  the  work  of  our  Society  in  Persia  and  Bagdad. 
But  the  lands  under  Mohammedan  rule  are  wider 
than  Persia,  and  include,  as  Dr.  Bruce  allowed, 
Egypt,  Turkey,  Arabia,  the  whole  of  Central  Asia, 
and,  let  it  be  remembered,  much  of  Central  Africa  as 
well. 

"  The  resolution  is  a  remarkable  one,  and  may  well 
be  characterized  as  the  commencement  of  a  new  era 
in  the  work  of  the  evangelization  of  the  world.  The 
framers  of  it  must  have  really  meant  what  they 
wrote,  and  it  becomes  us  now  to  strike  the  iron  while 
it  is  hot,  and  to  consider  how  and  where  a  beginning 
may  best  be  made  to  put  this  gigantic  project  into 
execution.  I  purposely  use  the  word  beginning,  be- 
cause the  work  already  accomplished  among  Moham- 
medans in  Persia  and  India  may  be  fairly  regarded 
as  only  preliminary  experiments,  which,  having 
proved  a  decided  success,  warrant  us  in  entering 
upon  the  great  work  itself  with  perfect  assurance  as 
to  the  issue. 

"Arabia  is  the  cradle  of  Islam.  General  Haig 
writes:    'Out  of  a  total    coast-line    of  3,900    miles, 


420  MISSION   TO   MOHAMMEDANS. 

only  1,500  belong  to  Turkey,  and  2,400  to  inde- 
pendent States.  Probably  three  millions  out  of  a 
total  of  ten  millions  of  population  are  the  subjects 
of  Turkey ;  the  rest  are  independent.'  Of  late  the 
Turkish  Government  have  been  renewing  their 
hostility  to  Christian  work  to  an  alarming  extent. 
They  have  not  absolutely  closed  the  door,  but  their 
present  strenuous  opposition  naturally  causes  us  to 
turn  our  eyes  towards  the  independent  portion  of 
Arabia. 

"  It  is  the  deliberate  conviction  of  General  Haig 
that  in  Oman,  the  capital  of  which  is  Muscat, 
'there  are  important  openings  for  the  Gospel.'  The 
population  of  the  State  is  estimated  at  1,600,000 
{W/iifakers  Almanack,  1888).  There  is  good  reason 
to  believe  that  the  Government  would  offer  no  oppo- 
sition. My  latest  information  from  the  coast  reports 
the  death  of  the  Imaum,  Seyid  Turki  ;  but  British 
influence  is  supreme  at  Muscat,  thanks  to  the  efforts 
of  Colonel  Miles,  and  it  is  not  probable  that  Seyid 
Turki's  successor  will  venture,  in  his  first  years  of 
office  at  least,  to  thwart  a  judicious  and  unobtrusive 
effort  on  our  part  to  start  a  Christian  Mission  in  his 
capital. 

"  In  more  senses  than  one,  Muscat  is  the  key  to 
Central  Africa.  A  century  ago  the  Imaum  of 
Muscat  pushed  his  conquests  along  the  coast  of 
East  Africa,  and  rescued  Zanzibar  from  the  hands 
of  the  effete  Portuguese  power.  With  rare  foresight 
he  fixed  on  the  fragrant  island   as  the  doorway   to 


MUSCAT  ARABS.  421 

Central  Africa.  For  the  last  thirty  years,  or  more, 
Zanzibar  has  been  independent ;  but  I  scarcely  ever 
met  an  Arab  there  who  did  not  look  upon  Muscat 
as  '  home.'  It  is  solely  due  to  the  enterprise  of 
Muscat  Arabs,  who,  penetrating  inland  from  Zanzi- 
bar, with  wares  of  Manchester  manufacture,  estab- 
lished peaceful  relations  with  hosts  of  native  tribes, 
that  travellers  first,  and  missionaries  afterwards,  have 
found  a  highway  into  the  far  interior.  Hindus  from 
Cutch,  and  Banyans  from  Bombay,  have  for  centuries 
traded  on  the  East  Coast  of  Africa,  but  they  have 
always  been  too  timorous  to  venture  into  the  interior. 
On  the  other  hand,  I  feel  safe  to  say  that,  generally 
speaking,  wherever  the  European  traveller  in  East 
Africa  has  ventured  to  penetrate  regions  hitherto 
unvisited  by  the  Arab,  he  has  found  it  impossible  to 
purchase  the  right  of  passage,  and  has  had  to  either 
fight  his  way  or  take  refuge  in  flight.  Innumerable 
instances  of  this  will  occur  to  those  who  have  followed 
the  story  of  the  past  years — e.g.,  Stanley's  troubles 
when  he  got  beyond  the  Arabs'  furthest  point  in 
Manyuema  ;  Thomson  to  the  west  of  Tanganyika  ; 
Reichard  and  Giraud  on  the  Lualaba.  Where  the 
Arab  has  travelled  (I  mean  peacef?dlj'),  the  mission- 
ary may  go  any  day  ;  where  the  Arab  has  not 
ventured,  the  missionary  must  exercise  the  greatest 
caution  in  trying  to  go. 

"The  Arabs  who  swarm  over  Central  Africa 
generally  hail  from  Muscat,  or  other  towns  in  the 
dominion  of  Oman.     Not  a   few  Beluchis  are  to  be 


422  MISSION   TO   MOHAMMEDANS. 

met  with,  and  also  natives  of  Shehr  and  Hadramaut. 
Half-castes,  born  in  Zanzibar  and  Unyanyembe,  arc 
becoming  now  more  numerous  than  formerly,  but  as 
a  rule  the  pure  Arab  belongs  to  Oman.  He  finds  a 
passage  for  a  few  dollars  in  a  native  dhow  bound 
for  Zanzibar  ;  he  has  no  capital  to  begin  with,  but 
accompanies  a  richer  friend,  whom  he  finds  fitting  up 
a  caravan  for  the  interior  ;  by-and-by,  he  makes  small 
ventures  of  his  own,  on  the  strength  of  a  tusk  or  two 
he  may  have  come  by  on  his  first  journey  inland.  If 
successful,  he  will  get  credit  to  almost  any  extent 
from  the  Indians  at  the  coast ;  and  profits  are  such 
that  he  can,  after  twenty  years'  labour,  return  to 
Muscat  a  rich  man,  his  ambition  being  to  purchase 
an  estate  there,  dig  wells,  make  a  canal  for  naviga- 
tion, and  let  patches  for  the  cultivation  of  dates. 

"  Most  of  the  Arabs  whom  I  have  found  inland  are, 
I  believe,  Wahabis,  a  sect  which  one  may  call  Puri- 
tans in  their  way,  at  least  Reformed  or  Protestant 
Moslems.  I  think  the  experience  of  the  generality 
of  travellers  is,  that  the  Muscat  Arab  in  the  interior 
of  Africa  is  a  gentleman  whom  it  is  a  pleasure  to 
meet  among  the  surrounding  barbarism.  While  he 
is  no  match  for  the  crafty  Hindu  trader  at  the  coast, 
yet  he  has  a  keen  eye  for  business,  and  generally 
contrives  to  take  advantage  of  the  needy  European, 
whom  he  invariably  regards  as  a  simpleton  in  busi- 
ness matters. 

"  His  behaviour  is  now,  however,  altering.  It  '\% 
no  longer  a  solitary  traveller  whom  he  meets,  and 


THE  ARAB  BECOME   OUR  ENEMY.  423 

whom  he  prides  himself  in  entertaining  hospitably, 
knowing  that  his  generosity  will  be  remembered. 
Of  late,  he  is  becoming  alive  to  the  fact  that  these 
travellers  are  only  the  forerunners  of  adven- 
turers who  come  to  compete  with  him  in  trading, 
and  of  Christian  missionaries  whose  creed  he  has 
been  taught  to  hate.  It  is  then  no  wonder  that  we 
find  the  Arab  our  uncompromising  enemy,  ready  to 
resort  to  the  most  unscrupulous  means  to  rid  the 
country  of  our  presence.^ 

"Islam  is  not  dead,  nor  is  it  any  longer  asleep.  At 
home,  in  Arabia,  the  zeal  of  the  Wahabis  may  have 

*  "The  fast  by  day  and  the  gluttony  at  night  during  this 
month  by  no  means  improves  the  temper  of  these  miserable 
fanatics.  It  is  indeed  '  particularly  they  of  the  circumcision ' 
who  are  the  most  bitter  enemies  of  tlie  cross  of  Christ  here  as 
in  bygone  days.  Old  Salim  bin  Saleh,  who  professes  such  great 
friendship  to  us,  and  who  wrote  the  lying  letter  to  Mtesa  re- 
cently in  Said  Burgash's  name,  joins  too  in  the  blasphemy, 
alleging  that  our  Scriptures  are  corrupted,  and  that  we  have 
lost  the  *  Book  which  God  gave  to  the  prophet  Jesus.'  Another 
(^Id  Arab,  Suliman  bin  Feher,  who  has  recently  come  to  the 
country,  makes  a  determined  and  venomous  opposition  to  every 
word  taught  in  court  by  Mr.  O'Flaherty.  One  day,  when  there 
was  not  a  word  to  be  said  without  being  belied  by  this  Arab, 
even  in  common  matters  relating  to  the  outside  world,  Mr. 
O'Flaherty  sent  out  for  Namkade,  who  was  one  of  the  deputation 
to  England,  and  cross-questioned  him  in  presence  of  the  court, 
the  answers  in  every  case  giving  the  lie  to  all  the  Arab's  state- 
ments. Zanzibar  was  described  by  Namkade  as  being  '  only  a 
flea  in  the  Nyanza.'  After  the  court  came  out,  Suliman  drew 
his  dirk  at  Mr.  O'Flaherty,  with  murder  in  his  eye,  ejaculating 
the  word  'kafir'  (unbeliever)." — Macka/s  Journal,  15th  August, 
1882. 


424  MISSIOiV    TO   MOIJAMMEDANS. 

waxed  cold,  but  there  still  remains  the  old  desire  for 
reform,  and  their  ancient  fanaticism  is  'giving  place 
to  liberal  ideas,  which,  in  truth,  are  far  more  con- 
genial to  the  Arabian  mind.'  Although  brought  up 
'  after  the  straitest  sect  of  their  religion,'  yet  most 
of  them,  after  spending  a  few  years  in  Africa,  become 
lax  indeed,  indulging  in  spirits  and  tobacco  (not 
always  openly),  while  not  a  {q:\v  of  them  come  to 
believe  in  African  charms  and  magic  horns  ;  and  I 
could  mention  several  instances  in  which  they  have 
entirely  renounced  the  faith  of  their  fathers  and  have 
taken  to  native  fetichism. 

"Again  and  again  I  have  heard  the  Arabs,  in  trying 
to  dissuade  the  authorities  of  Uganda  from  tolerat- 
ing our  teaching,  aver  that  in  their  country  (Oman) 
we  did  not  venture  to  introduce  our  religion!  I  have 
been  also  taunted  by  negroes  with  the  remark,  'Why 
come  so  far  to  ask  people  to  change  the  customs  of 
their  fathers,  while  you  neglect  the  Arabs  and  others 
so  much  nearer  home?'  This  stigma  must  be  re- 
moved. 

"  Our  Nyanza  Mission  owes  much  to  Muscat 
Arabs,  from  Said  Burgash,  the  late  Prince  of 
Zanzibar,  to  the  humblest  trader  in  the  interior. 
They  have  helped  us  often,  and  have  hindered  us 
likewise.  We  owe  them  therefore  a  double  debt, 
which  I  can  see  no  more  effective  way  of  paying, 
than  by  at  once  establishing  a  strong  mission  at  their 
very  headquarters — Muscat  itself  If  the  most  fana- 
tical and  conservative  of  Mussulmans  can  have  their 


MUSCAT  A   MISSIONARY  CENTRE.  425 

ideas  widened  by  travel,  and  are  daily,  before  our 
eyes,  becoming  more  enlightened  and  tolerant,  while 
some  of  them  even  consent  to  change  their  creed  for 
fetichism,  who  shall  assert  that  they  will  turn  nothing 
but  a  deaf  ear  to  the  Gospel  of  the  grace  of  God  ?  I 
do  not  deny  that  the  task  is  difficult  ;  and  the  men 
selected  for  work  in  Muscat  must  be  endowed  with 
no  small  measure  of  the  Spirit  of  Jesus,  besides 
possessing  such  linguistic  capacity  as  to  be  able  to 
reach  not  only  the  ears,  but  the  very  hearts  of  men. 

"  Is  it  credible  that  the  English  Universities  will 
fail  to  supply  us  with  a  sufficient  number  of  men 
able  to  enter  upon  this  work  at  once  ?  When  the 
needs  of  the  Keith-Falconer  Mission  were  brought 
before  the  Divinity  Colleges  in  Scotland,  no  less  than 
five  of  the  ablest  and  most  devoted  students  (gradu- 
ates, I  believe)  were  found  i-eady  to  take  up  the  work. 
The  English  Universities  are  more  liberally  endowed 
with  chairs  of  Oriental  languages  than  those  of  Scot- 
land, while,  among  the  vastly  greater  number  of 
clergymen,  surely  half  a  dozen  of  the  right  stamp 
will  be  found.  If  we  resolve  to  make  the  venture 
in  faith,  I  doubt  not  but  that  God  will  send  us  the 
proper  men. 

"The  importance  of  Muscat,  as  a  missionary  centre 
for  work  among  the  Arabs,  can  scarcely  be  over- 
estimated ;  but  the  post  must  be  held  by  no  feeble 
staff.  As  the  nature  of  the  case  precludes  public 
preaching  in  bazaars  and  evangelistic  work  of  the 
more    ostentatious    kind,    attention    should    be   con- 


426  MISSION   TO   MOHAMMEDANS. 

centrated  in  two  directions:  (i)  MEDICAL,  in  which 
the  assistance  of  trained  ladies  will  prove  a  powerful 
softener  of  opposition ;  (2)  Educational,  chiefly 
with  the  view  of  training  young  Arabs  to  be  mis- 
sionaries to  their  fellow-countrymen.  Any  idea  of 
trying  to  introduce  the  teaching  of  English  should 
be  considered  entirely  out  of  the  question.  From 
the  first,  the  staff  should  have  the  assistance  of  a 
Christian  native  pastor  from  Syria,  India,  or  other 
Mohammedan  land,  one  who  is  an  approved  worker 
for  Christ  Such  a  man,  with  two  Europeans  (cleri- 
cal and  medical),  and  not  less  than  two  ladies,  I 
should  consider  barely  a  sufficient  staff  to  begin  the 
work.  Admirable  suggestions  as  to  methods  of  pro- 
cedure are  given  by  General  Haig,  in  his  paper  on 
'Arabia  as  a  Mission  Field*  (C.M.  Intelligencer,  July, 
1887,  pp.  420-21).  Of  great  value  is  the  '  Report  of 
the  Decennial  Missionary  Conference '  in  Calcutta, 
held  in  1882,  as  there  we  find  expressed  the  ripened 
experience  of  devoted  men,  representing  many  so- 
cieties, who  have  worked  among  Mohammedans  with 
no  small  success. 

"It  is  almost  needless  to  say,  that  the  outlook  in 
Africa  will  be  considerably  brightened  by  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  Mission  to  the  Arabs  in  Muscat.  If 
the  claims  of  India  have  a  title  to  be  considered 
paramount,  equally  so  have  those  of  Muscat  ;  for  \\\ 
no  part  of  the  earth,  at  least  over  no  other  area  so 
wide  as  Central  Africa,  have  Mohammedans  such 
power  for  influencing  the  work  of  the  C.M.S. 


MOHAMMEDANS  TN   ZANZIBAR.  427 

"  Second  to  Oman,  the  position  of  ZANZIBAR  itself 
claims  attention.  The  Universities'  Mission  there  is 
doing  excellent  work  among  the  freed  slaves,  and 
among  some  of  the  tribes  on  the  mainland  ;  but  its 
influence  is  scarcely  felt  among  the  Arabs,  who  are 
the  ruling  power  and  the  chief  proprietors  of  the 
land,  if,  indeed,  any  serious  effort  is  made  at  all  to 
reach  them.  It  must  be  remembered  that  in  Zanzi- 
bar there  is  also  a  large  population  of  free  negroes, 
who  owe  their  liberty  chiefly  to  the  British  Govern- 
ment, and  who  are  the  chief  assistants  of  all  tra- 
vellers and  missionaries  who  proceed  inland.  They 
are  generally  known  by  the  name  of  Wangzvana 
(gentlemen),  and  are  all  nominally  Mohammedans. 
I  have  never  heard  of  any  effort  being  made  at  the 
coast  to  introduce  Christianity  among  these  ubiqui- 
tous travellers.  I  have  frequently  suggested  to  them 
the  advisability  of  their  going  to  the  Universities' 
Mission  schools  for  instruction  ;  but  they  invariably 
scout  the  idea,  asserting  that  the  Christian  teachers 
in  Zanzibar  busy  themselves  only  with  slaves  rescued 
by  British  cruisers.  Their  strong  prejudice  to  being 
associated  with  natives,  still  in  or  only  just  emerged 
from  slavery,  must  be  respected  in  any  effort  made  to 
Christianize  them. 

**  As  to  the  Romanists,  we  may  admire  their  in- 
dustry and  success  in  educating  the  slaves  handed 
over  to  them  by  the  British  agent,  but  we  may  look 
in  vain  for  any  successful  work  done  by  them  among 
the  Mohammedans,  Arab  or  Negro.      I  am  not  aware 


428  MISS/O/V   TO  MOffAMMEDAl^S. 


that  they  even  hope  for  converts  from'  that  quarter. 
I  once  asked  the  Superior  of  their  establishment  at 
Bagan:ioyo  if  he  was  able  to  effect  any  good  among 
the  people  of  the  town.  His  answer  was,  *  Oh,  our 
Mission  is  not  for  them  at  all  ;  it  is  for  the  interior  !  ' 
At  that  time  they  had  no  stations  except  those  on 
the  coast. 

"  It  is  generally  supposed  that  the  negotiations 
entered  into  by  England  with  Zanzibar  refer  only  to 
the  slave-trade ;  but,  in  fact,  far  more  important  mat- 
ters, so  far  at  least  as  Mission  work  is  concerned, 
have  been  diplomatically  arranged  between  the  two 
countries.  A  'Treaty  of  Friendship,  Commerce, 
AND  Navigation  '  between  England  and  Zanzibar 
was  signed  on  April  30th,  1886.  It  consists  of 
twenty-seven  articles,  mainly  relative  to  rights  and 
tariffs,  but  Article  XXIII,  should  be  especially  noted. 
It  runs  thus  :  'Subjects  of  the  two  high  contracting 
parties  shall,  within  the  dominions  of  each  other,  en- 
joy freedom  of  conscience  and  religious  toleration. 
The  free  and  public  exercise  of  all  forms  of  religion, 
and  the  right  to  build  edifices  for  religious  worship, 
and  to  oi'ganize  religious  Missions  of  all  creeds,  shall 
not  be  restricted  or  interfered  ivith  in  any  zvay  what- 
soever. Missionaries,  scientists,  and  explorers,  with 
their  followers,  property  and  collections,  shall  like- 
wise be  under  the  especial  protection  of  the  high 
contracting  parties.' 

"  Here  is  a  door  of  liberty  thrown  open  ;  and  by 
the  terms  of  the  resolution  adopted  at  our  last  May 


A  DOOR   OPEN  IN  ZANZIBAR.  429 

Meeting,  and  quoted  at  the  beginning  of  this  paper, 
we  are  bound  either  to  take  advantage  of  the  open- 
ing ourselves,  or  be  assured  that  another  Christian 
Society  will  do  so.  The  Universities'  Mission  has 
failed  hitherto  to  take  sufficient  advantage  of  the 
liberty  granted  by  this  treaty,  probably  for  want  of 
men  and  means  ;  but  even  should  its  operations  be 
extended  so  as  to  try  to  reach  some  of  the  Moham- 
medan population,  it  never  can  alone  undertake  this 
work  as  it  ought  to  be  done,  so  that  there  is  more 
than  ample  room  for  our  Society  to  dedicate,  at 
least,  two  missionaries  for  work  among  the  Arabs 
and  free  blacks  exclusively.  This  will  form  a  valu- 
able auxiliary,  not  only  to  the  Muscat  Mission,  but 
also  to  the  whole  of  our  work  in  the  interior  of 
Africa.  The  present  British  Agent  and  Consul- 
General  in  Zanzibar,  Colonel  Charles  B.  Euan-Smith, 
is  a  devout  Christian  gentleman,  and  has  sufficient  in- 
fluence with  the  new  Sultan  (Seyid  Khalifa)  to  demand 
the  latter's  adherence  to  the  spirit  of  the  treaty. 

"  In  conclusion,  let  me  quote  the  words  of  one  of 
our  Secretaries,  the  Rev.  W.  Gray,  in  his  earnest  plea 
for  *  Missions  to  Mohammedans  '  {CM.  Intelligencer, 
January,  1888):  'Let  the  Society  (not  merely  the 
Committee)  face  this  work  in  real  earnest.  .  .  . 
There  should  be  steadily  kept  in  mind  the  import- 
ance of  the  employment  in  this  work  of  converted 
Mohammedans  themselves.  .  .  .  The  great  thing 
is,  that  the  Society's  earnest  attention  should  now  be 
given  to  the  subject* 


430  MISSION   TO  MOHAMMEDANS. 

"This  plea  goes  forth,  not  for  the  Mohammedans 
of  India,  as  their  advocates  are  many,  but  for  the 
Arab  trader  in  Africa,  whose  home  is  either  in 
Muscat  or  in  Zanzibar.  May  it  now  soon  be  said, 
'  This  day  is  salvation  come  to  this  house,  forasmuch 
as  he  also  is  a  son  of  Abraham  ' ! 

"A.  M.  Mackay. 

"UsAMBiRo,  Central  Africa,  Aiigust,  1888." 


SLAVE  RAIDING  AND  THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 


"  I  had  spoken  before  of  me  unchristian  nature  of  slavery, 
and  also  on  the  intrinsic  value  of  the  hmnan  body  compared 
wiih  a  rag  of  cloth.  The  king  himself  restated  my  former 
arguments.  To-day  I  adopted  another  line.  I  said  the 
country  was  being  depopulated  by  the  exportation  of  children 
and  women.  This  was  allowed  on  ail  hands.  The  king  said 
he  was  quite  at  a  loss  what  to  do.  He  himself  did  not  buy  or 
sell  slaves,  but  his  chiefs  and  others  did.  I  said  he  was  not 
king  of  his  household  merely,  but  of  the  whole  country,  and 
told  him  he  could  receive  no  terms  of  friendship  from  England 
unless  he  put  down  the  evil.  The  Arabs  (half-caste)  were  up 
in  arms.  Mtesa  allowed  me  to  fight  it  out  with  them  for  a  while, 
and  then  allowed  that  I  was  right,  but  what  could  he  and  his 
people  do  ?  The  coast-men  would  not  sell  cloth  or  guns,  etc., 
except  for  slaves.  I  told  him  that  the  country  was  rich  in  many 
things,  and  if  the  coastmen  would  not  trade  in  anything  except 
human  beings,  then  let  them  stay  away.  I  said  other  articles 
of  barter  would  soon  suggest  themselves.  I  could  not  produce 
them,  nor  would  the  Baganda  even,  so  long  as  every  man  went 
about  idle  as  at  present.  Me  said  if  he  had  only  half  a  dozen 
white  men  here  to  put  his  people  in  the  way  of  producing 
articles  for  trade,  he  would  soon  put  an  end  to  slavery." — • 
Mackay's  Journal,  Jan.  ()th,  1879. 


CHAPTER  XV. 
SLAVE  RAIDING  AND  THE  SLAVE  TRADE. 

THE  startling  fact  is  announced  by  Mackay,  that 
every  year  some  two  thousand  slaves  are  pur- 
chased by  Arab  traders,  in  Uganda  alone,  for  trans- 
mission to  the  coast  ;  and  in  several  of  his  letters  he 
refers  to  large  bodies  of  armed  men  sent  out  under 
the  orders  of  the  king  to  raid  for  slaves.  Kaba- 
rega,  king  of  Bunyoro,  a  neighbouring  State,  did 
the  same  thing,  and  probably  on  a  scale  of  equal 
magnitude ;  so  that  these  two  neighbouring  States 
alone  yielded  not  less  than  4,000  slaves  for  sale  to 
traders,  besides  reserving  large  numbers  for  home 
use. 

The  difficulties  experienced  by  the  servants  of 
the  Lakes'  Company,  and  by  the  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  Mission  on  the  Nyassa,  occasioned  by 
the  presence  of  a  strong  body  of  armed,  slave-raid- 
ing Arabs,  became  so  great  about  this  time  as  to 
necessitate  some  new  and  special  measures  of  pro- 
tection, if  the  beneficent  work  of  lawful  commerce 
and  Christian  teaching  were  to  be  continued.  This 
led  to  a  proposal  in   London   to  establish  a  Hne  of 

A.  M.  M.  «3  28 


434       SLAVE  RAIDIXG  AND    THE  SLAVE    TRADE. 

fortified  posts  in  the  Lake  regions,  for  the  purpose 
of  overawing  the  turbulent  and  blood-thirsty  Arabs, 
and  driving  them  away. 

Mackay  felt  that  this  alone  would  be  perfectly 
useless ;  but  carried  out  in  connection  with  other 
means,  which  he  suggests,  would  be  effectual  to  ac- 
complish the  purpose  of  its  supporters.  In  January, 
18S9,  he  writes  to  the  Times  : — 

"  Sir, — In  the  last  number  of  the  Times  to  hand 
in  this  distant  region  (dated  October  5th,  1888) 
I  have  read  with  much  satisfaction  Commander 
Cameron's  proposal  to  establish  a  British  association 
which  shall  maintain  an  anti-slavery  cordon  along 
the  line  of  the  great  lakes  of  Central  Africa.  The 
interest  which  is  now  being  awakened  in  Europe 
regarding  Central  Africa  affords  to  those  of  us  who 
are  familiar  with  the  atrocities  daily  perpetrated  in 
this  continent,  some  hope  of  definite  steps  being  at 
last  taken  to  put  an  end  to  these  horrors.  It  is  so 
difficult  to  write  anything  sober  on  this  gigantic  evil, 
without  being  accused  of  exaggeration,  although  ex- 
aggeration is  scarcely  possible,  that  I  shall  confine 
myself  to  an  examination  of  Commander  Cameron's 
scheme,  with  a  view  to  show  how  far  it  will  prove 
successful,  and  where  its  failure  will  chiefly  lie. 

"In  1 87 1  Livingstone  wrote  : — '  The  evils  inflicted 
by  these  Arabs  are  enormous,  but  probably  not 
greater  than  the  people  inflict  on  each  other.'  This 
is  especially  true  as  regards  Uganda  and  Bunyoro. 
These  countries   have  generally  large  armies  in  the 


ARAB  SLAVERS.  435 


field,  in  one  direction  or  another,  devastating  whole 
regions  of  their  inhabitants.  The  Arabs,  as  a  rule, 
do  not  join  these  expeditions,  organized  for  wholesale 
murder,  but  they  supply  the  guns  and  the  powder, 
and  receive  in  payment  women,  children,  and  ivory 
procured  in  the  raids.  The  demand  for  slaves  in 
Uganda  itself  is  very  great,  it  being  only  the  surplus 
which  is  carried  off  by  the  Arabs.  Every  year  some 
2,000  slaves,  as  nearly  as  I  can  estimate,  are  pur- 
chased by  Arabs,  and  conveyed  by  water  from 
Uganda  to  Usukuma,  where  the  march  to  the  coast 
begins.  It  will  be  no  light  undertaking  to  stop  this 
trade  on  the  water ;  but  granting  that  it  can  be  done, 
what  means  are  to  be  employed  to  prevent  the  ten- 
fold greater  loss  of  life  and  liberty  in  the  countries 
raided  on  by  the  Baganda  1 

"Arabs  are  obsequious  enough  in  the  presence  of 
force  greater  than  their  own  ;  but  in  the  interior  of 
Africa  they  have  found  that,  by  making  a  firm  stand, 
they  can  defend  their  interests,  however  unlawful, 
against  Europeans  who  oppose  them,  not  for  their 
own  interest,  but  as  hirelings  engaged  on  philan- 
thropic work  which  has  hitherto  not  been  carried 
on  with  determined  whole-heartedness.  Take  a  few 
instances.  On  the  Upper  Nile  the  Arab  slavers  have 
carried  the  day  against  a  hesitating  English  army, 
grudgingly  sent  by  a  ridiculous  route,  and  hurriedly 
withdrawn  at  the  moment  of  victory.-  On  the  Upper 
Congo  the  poorly  manned  station  of  Stanley  Falls 
was  easily  taken  by  a  gang  of  slave-hunters;  and  one 


436      SLAVE   RAIDLXG   AND    THE   SLAVE    TRADE. 

of  the  greatest  slave-hunters  on  earth  is  now  placed 
in  charge,  where  he  is  subsidized  by  money  from  the 
Congo  State — a  Power  pledged  by  the  Berlin  Con- 
ference '  to  employ  every  means  that  it  can  to  put 
an  end  to  the  trade,  and  to  punish  those  who  engage 
in  it.'  On  the  Nyassa  two  or  three  slavers  have 
well-nigh  ousted  the  representatives  of  Missions  and 
commerce  there.  Finally,  in  East  Africa,  all  the 
coast  acquired  by  Germany  has  fallen  an  easy  prey 
to  a  {^vi  desperadoes  and  their  allies.  Nothing  of 
all  this  would  have  been  attempted  had  the  Arabs 
not  seen  the  feebleness  of  the  force  opposed  to 
them  in  every  quarter,  and  the  readiness  with  which 
Christian  effort  is  nowadays  abandoned  on  the  first 
reverse.  Even  in  the  waters  of  Zanzibar  the  ne- 
farious slave  traffic  is  pursued  with  almost  complete 
impunity,  because,  as  one  of  your  correspondents 
(Mr.  Highton,  of  the  Universities'  Mission)  writes, 
'the  English  cruising  boats  are  small,  slow  saihng, 
and  of  an  obsolete  type.' 

"  How  are  the  Arabs  in  the  Soudan,  on  the  Upper 
Congo,  on  Nyassa,  and  on  the  Zanzibar  coast  ;  or  the 
kings  of  Uganda  and  Bunyoro,  able  to  carry  on  this 
organized  system  of  slaughter  and  slave-catching } 
It  is  only  because  of  the  thrice-blind  policy  of  allow- 
ing them  to  procure  ad  libitum  supplies  of  gunpowder 
and  gun.s.  It  is  Europe,  and,  I  hesitate  not  to  say, 
especially  England,  that  is  yearly  supplying  these 
men-killers  with  the  means  whereby  they  carry  on 
their  deadly  work.     Men  talk  of  free  trade;  but  there 


A   POLICY  OF  DEMENTIA.  437 

can  and   must  be  no    free   trade    in    instruments  of 
rapine  and  murder. 

"  Here  we  have  the  astounding  phenomenon  of  a 
continent  bleeding  at  every  pore,  and  of  a  feeble, 
ineffective  effort  made  at  the  coast  to  check  the  ex- 
port of  slaves ;  while,  at  the  same  time,  a  few  petty 
European  merchants  in  Zanzibar  are  pouring  into 
the  interior,  unchecked,  arms  and  ammunition,  with- 
out which  not  a  single  raid  could  be  made  by  Arabs 
or  Baganda.  It  is  like  one  man  plugging  up  the 
outlet  of  a  deep-seated  abscess,  while  others  are 
saturating  the  blood  of  the  patient  with  poison. 
Tribe  is  stimulated  to  annihilate  tribe,  and  Arab 
encouraged  to  prey  upon  all,  merely  by  their  being 
allowed  as  much  as  they  want  of  man-slaying 
material.  If  this  is  not  a  policy  of  dementia,  I  know 
not  where  madness  is  to  be  found.  For  years  we 
have  been  sowing  this  bitter  seed,  and  now  we  mourn 
as  we  begin,  at  length,  to  reap  the  bitter  fruit  in 
assassination  and  defiance.  The  British  vessels  which 
bring  out  missionaries  and  Bibles  to  evangelize 
Africa,  bring  also,  and  in  far  greater  number,  En- 
fields  and  breechloaders,  which  convert  the  continent 
into  a  hell.  The  Church  Missionary  Society  has 
already  spent  over  ^150,000  within  the  last  dozen 
years  in  the  endeavour  to  introduce  Christianity  into 
Eastern  Equatorial  Africa  ;  but  all  their  labour  and 
expenditure  is  rendered  well-nigh  fruitless  by  the 
continual  wars  and  intrigues  carried  on  upon  the 
strength    of  the   guns   and    gunpowder  supplied    by 


438     SLAVE  HAWING  AND    THE  SLAVE    TRADE. 

Christian  traders,  who  are  too  cowardly  to  venture 
inland  themselves,  for  their  wares  would  probably 
cause  their  assassination.  The  murder  of  Herr 
Geisicke  in  Tipu  Tip's  courtyard  at  Unyanyembe 
was  not  unexpected.  Again  and  again  the  Baganda 
have  confessed  to  me  that  it  is  the  guns  which  enable 
them  to  carry  on  the  work  of  killing  '  the  neighbour- 
ing countries.  Livingstone,  too,  writes  in  his  Last 
Journals  (vol.  ii.  p.  57^  :  '  If  spears  alone  were  used, 
the  Manyuema  would  be  considered  brave ;  for  they 
fear  no  one,  though  he  has  many  spears.  They  tell 
us  truly  that  were  it  not  for  our  guns  not  one  of  us 
would  return  to  our  own  country.' 

"  Here,  then,  lies  the  weak  point  in  Commander 
Cameron's  otherwise  laudable  scheme.  Hundreds  of 
thousands  of  pounds  sterling  may  be  expended  in 
maintaining  gunboats  on  the  Nyassa,  Tanganyika, 
and  the  two  Nyanzas  ;  but  if  the  gunpowder  traders 
are  to  be  still  left  free  to  supply  their  bloody  tools, 
no  triple  cordon  of  gallant  officers  will  ever  be  able 
to  put  a  stop  to  slave-hunting  in  Central  Africa. 
Commander  Cameron  is  right  in  not  recommending 
that  the  Government  should  take  in  hand  the  work 
of  forcibly  checking  slave-raids  in  the  interior.  Even 
in  these  days  of  State-socialism,  I  believe  that  an 
independent  association  of  determined  men  will  more 
effectively  do  the  work.  But,  whether  the  associa- 
tion be  international  or  exclusively  British,  it  must,  in 
the  first  place,  secure  the  sympathy  and  support  of 
the  principal  Governments  concerned.     England  and 


HOW  TO  SUPPLANT  THE  ARAB.  439 

Germany  are  in  East  Africa.  France  protects 
Comoro  and  Madagascar.  Belgium  is  responsible 
for  the  Congo  State,  while  Portugal  claims  vast 
regions  in  both  East  and  West.  All  these  five 
Governments  must  be  asked  to  pass  and  enforce 
stringent  resolutions  forbidding  the  importation  of 
arms  and  ammunition.  A  cordon  of  sufficient 
strength,  such  as  Commander  Cameron  suggests, 
will  do  the  rest ;  but  without  that  security,  no  such 
cordon  will  effect  one  particle  of  good.  The  work 
to  be  done  is,  therefore,  threefold — viz.  (i)  Stop  the 
influx  of  arms  and  ammunition  ;  (2)  increase  the 
vigilance  at  the  coast  by  more  and  better  cruisers ; 
(3)  establish  the  cordon  of  police  on  the  upper  waters 
of  the  great  rivers. 

"As  long  as  the  Arab  remains  in  Africa  he  will 
trade  in  slaves,  and,  in  spite  of  his  doing  so,  he 
will  be  regarded  by  the  natives  as  a  friend,  simply 
because  he  trades  in  other  things  as  well,  and  there 
is  a  demand  for  these.  To  rid  Africa  of  his  presence, 
we  have  only  to  take  the  trade  out  of  his  hands.  If 
Europeans  succeed  in  supplying  the  natives  with 
calico  and  other  goods  of  lawful  barter,  they  will 
entirely  supplant  the  Arabs,  who  will  retire  in  vast 
numbers  to  their  own  country.  But  to  do  this,  the 
barbarous  and  inhuman  method  of  employing  porters 
to  carry  loads  must  be  abandoned.  No  European 
merchant  can  employ  labour  of  that  kind,  and  hope, 
at  a  profit,  to  undersell  the  Arab  merchant.  If  he 
transports  his  goods  by  animal  power,  on  the  backs 


440      SLAVE  K  A  ID  IMG  AND    TIJE  SLAVE    TRADE. 


of  elephants  or  buffaloes,  or  preferably  in  wagons 
hauled  by  these,  he  will  without  question  succeed  in 
securing  all  the  ivory  trade,  because  he  will  then  be 
able  to  give  more  cloth  for  a  tusk.  But  be  it  re- 
membered that  millions  of  natives  in  Central  Africa 
demand  cloth,  but  have  no  ivory  wherewith  to  buy. 
The  Arab  accepts  a  slave  from  a  poor  man  for  the 
little  cloth  he  wants  ;  but  what  can  the  European 
accept  in  exchange  ?  Produce  will  not  pay  the 
expense  of  freight  to  the  coast,  even  by  wagons 
drawn  by  elephants.  Hides,  tobacco,  cotton,  and 
coffee  will  be  offered  for  sale  in  many  parts,  but  will 
be  found  not  worth  the  carriage  over  a  hundred 
miles.  The  one  means  which  will  alone  succeed  will 
be  the  construction  of  rough  tramways  to  the  great 
lakes  and  other  centres  of  dense  population.  These, 
with  branch  tracks  for  elephant  wagons  as  feeders, 
will  enable  traders  to  exchange  calico  for  country 
produce,  and  will  effect  the  threefold  purpose  of 
supplanting  the  Arab  entirely,  of  developing  the 
resources  of  the  country,  and  of  promoting  internal 
peace ;  for  the  natives  will  then  busy  themselves  with 
growing  whatever  they  can  get  a  fair  price  for,  in- 
stead of  fighting  with  one  another  as  hitherto.  Then 
will  come  an  end  to  slave-hunting  by  the  Arab ;  tor 
if  this  proposal  is  carried  out  he  will  have  no  powder 
or  guns  wherewith  to  shoot  down  helpless  tribes  ; 
and  when  other  trade  is  also  taken  out  of  his  hands, 
he  will  disappear  altogether.  Already,  in  Zanzibar, 
all  the  trade  has  passed  into  the  hands  of  Indians, 


THE  ARABS   ARE  DESPERATE.  44« 

which  demonstrates  the  inability  of  the  Arab  to 
compete  on  fair  terms  with  other  traders.  Raiding 
tribes,  like  Baganda,  will  also  be  easily  controlled,  for 
a  European  trading  company  can  insist,  as  the  first 
condition  of  their  bringing  supplies,  that  murderous 
raids  on  neighbouring  countries  shall  cease  forthwith, 

"The  British  association,  with  its  anti-gunpowder 
and  anti-slavery  cordon,  will  prove  a  valuable  police 
force  in  preventing  the  smuggling  of  either  am- 
munition or  slaves  ;  only  it  must  be  strong  enough, 
even  from  the  first,  not  merely  to  punish  resistance, 
but  to  overawe  all  attempts  at  defying  its  authority. 
The  Arabs  are  now  becoming  desperate,  and  no 
feeble  measures  dare  be  used  to  oppose  them  ;  only 
such  as  will  insure  success.  Those  who  will  hold  the 
ammunition  will  hold  the  key  to  the  whole  interior 
for  good  or  for  evil.  Permission  may  be  given  to 
companies,  but  by  no  means  to  private  traders,  to 
sell  a  limited  quantity  to  chiefs  who  undertake  to 
keep  the  peace.  But  let  there  be  no  continuance 
of  the  present  infatuation  of  one  party  trying  to 
punish  slavers,  and  another,  all  the  while,  being 
allowed  to  furnish  these  same  slavers  with  an  un- 
limited supply  of  the  instruments  of  their  deadly 
traffic. 

"  I  have  quoted  the  opinion  of  Livingstone  on  the 
question  of  supplying  slavers  with  ammunition.  Let 
me  conclude  with  the  words  of  another  authority  on 
Central  Africa.  In  one  of  the  last  letters  I  have 
from  Dr.  Emin  Pasha,  dated  Wadelai,  August  25th, 


44^     SLAVE  RAIDING  AND    THE  SLAVE    TRADE. 

1887,  he  writes  :  '  The  conditio  sine  qua  non  for  the 
peace  and  prosperity  of  these  countries  is,  to  stop  the 
importation  of  firearms,  ammunition,  and  powder. 
The  English  and  German  Governments  should  agree 
on  this  step,  and  punish  with  relentless  severity 
ofifenders  against  their  proscription.  Mwanga  and 
Kabarega  would  very  quickly  come  to  terms  on 
seeing  their  powder  stores  empty.' 

"  I  am,  Sir,  your  obedient  servant, 

"  A.  M.  Mackay,  C.M.S. 
"Victoria  ^y^^z a, January,  1889." 


HOW  IS  AFRICA   TO  BE  EVANGELIZED! 


"  The  blank  interstices 
Men  take  for  ruins,  He  will  build  into 
With  pillared  marbles  rare,  or  knit  across 
Witl>  generous  arches,  till  the  fene's  complete." 

E.  B.  Drowning. 
'*  In  MaCkay's  very  last  letter  to  me,  his  strong,  brave  heart 
seemed  oppressed  with  yet  another  disappointment,  and  lie 
wrote  :  '  I  feel  strongly  inclined  to  throw  up  the  whole  matter, 
on  the  present  footing,  and  try  a  radically  new  plan.'  Fourteen 
years  of  toil,  and  fever,  and  contradiction,  and  sorrow,  and 
repeated  disappointment!  And  he  is  strongly  inclined,  not  to 
shake  oft'  the  dust  from  his  feet,  not  to  return  to  England,  but 
to  try  a  radically  new  plan." — A\  P.  Ashe. 


CHAPTER   XVI. 
HOW  IS  AFRICA    TO  BE  EVANGELIZED t 

THE  above  is  the  real  problem  of  Africa  for  the 
earnest  Christian,  To  the  solution  of  this  pro- 
blem Mackay  frequently  bent  his  mind.  It  is  not  sur- 
prising that,  cut  off  as  he  was  from  the  civilized  world, 
and  for  many  years  forbidden  to  go  more  than  a  very 
short  distance  from  the  Mission  premises,  and  even 
during  his  life  at  the  south  end  of  the  Victoria, 
confined,  by  the  necessities  of  his  work  and  the 
jealousies  of  rival  chiefs,  to  a  very  limited  area,  he 
should  grow  dissatisfied  with  the  ordinary  methods 
and  results  of  missionary  work. 

From  the  earliest  years  of  his  African  life  he  had 
strong  convictions  that  the  plan  of  establishing  mis- 
sionary stations  at  great  distances  inland,  without  a 
strong  base  at  the  coast  and  occasional  stations  on  the 
way,  was  a  serious  mistake  in  judgment,  and  would 
entail  enormous  expense  and  unnecessary  loss  of 
life. 

The  mistake  was  gradually  more  or  less  corrected 
in  time,  and  as  the  result  of  many  painful  experi- 
ences. 

His  mind  seems  lately  to  have  fixed  itself  upon  a 

445 


44<3         no IV  IS  AFRICA    TO  BE   EVAXGEl.IZEDi 

plan  of  work  not  altogether  untried,  but  capable  of 
considerable  expansion  and  adaptation  to  the  special 
needs  of  Africa. 

This  was,  to  utilize  the  principle  and  methods  of 
the  Noruial  school,  for  the  thorough  training  of  a 
number  of  carefully  chosen  natives  of  both  sexes, 
the  training  to  be  partly  industrial,  but  chiefly  edu- 
cational and  spiritual  ;  a  few  of  these  schools  to  be 
set  up  at  points  easily  accessible  from  England,  well 
manned,  and  thoroughly  supported  ;  the  training  to 
be  in  a  language  more  or  less  common  to  many 
African  tribes,  and  in  which  most  of  the  literature 
provided  for  the  use  of  schools  and  Christians  gene- 
rally should  be  printed. 

He  arrives  at  his  conclusion  by  a  careful  array  and 
induction  of  facts,  and  then  illustrates  his  plan  by 
his  favourite  science  of  engineering. 

It  is  almost  his  last  word  on  the  subject  nearest  his 
heart,  and  is  worthy  of  careful  consideration.  It  is 
highly  probable  that  the  plan  he  recommends  might 
be  worked  with  great  advantage,  in  combination  with 
other  methods  which  experience  has  proved  to  be 
successful  in  Africa,  and  might  lead  to  a  very  con- 
siderable increase  in  the  number  of  faithful  and 
efficient  messengers  of  the  Cross. 

He  heads  his  article  "  The  Solution  of  the  African 
Problem,"  and  says : — 

"An  able  American  advocate  of  Missions  (Dr.  Pier- 
son,   of  Philadelphia)  has  tersely  said,   '  Facts   form 


FIRST  STREAKS   OF  DAWN.  447 

the  fuel  with  which  missionary  fervour  is  fired  and 
fed.'  In  this  statement,  we  may  at  length,  discern 
the  first  streaks  of  dawn  in  the  darkness,  and  confi- 
dently assert,  that  now  the  chaos  of  loose  conceptions 
and  vague  generalizations,  in  which  missionary  opera- 
tions have  until  now  been  lying  dormant  in  the 
minds  of  Christian  millions,  is  being  transformed 
into  what  may  be  termed  the  '  Science  and  Art  of 
Missions.' 

"  In  every  field  of  practical  knowledge  the  rate  of 
progress  has  been  marvellous,  from  the  day  in  which 
men  began  to  closely  observe,  to  weigh  and  measure 
facts.  Thus  the  vagaries  of  astrology  were  swept 
away  by  the  most  definite  of  the  sciences — Astro- 
nomy. Thus  the  follies  and  fancies  of  alchemists, 
and  their  efforts  to  find  the  elixir  of  life  and  the 
philosopher's  stone,  developed  into  the  science  of 
Chemistry.  In  Mechanics,  men  once  talked  of 
Nature  abhorring  a  vacuum,  and  blindly  groped  after 
perpetual  motion  ;  but  when  they  set  to  work 
earnestly  to  investigate  the  properties  of  materials, 
and  the  eternal  laws  which  govern  their  combination 
in  structures  and  machines,  the  science  progressed 
with  gigantic  strides,  and  daily  contributes  more  and 
more  to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  the  whole  human 
family.  So,  too,  has  it  been  with  the  youngest  of  the 
sciences — Electricity.  Till  quite  recently,  professors 
were  content  to  exhibit  a  series  of  electric  tricks  and 
detached  experiments,  mere  curiosities  to  the  few, 
and  of  no  practical  value  to  the   many.     But  when 


448        ffOir  IS  AFJiICA    TO   BE  EVANGELIZED t 

practical  men  ceased  to  accept  their  vague  talk  about 
tension  and  current,  and  began  to  measure  quantities 
of  electricity,  and  ascertain  the  permanent  principles 
on  which  the  production  and  application  of  electric 
currents  depend,  a  science  was  established  on  a  per- 
fect and  intelligible  basis,  and  a  period  of  invention 
of  marvellous  electric  appliances  succeeded,  such  as 
never  before  occurred  in  the  history  of  mankind. 
The  astounding  progress  of  recent  years  in  physical, 
mechanical,  and  electric  science  has  been  due  solely 
to  the  rigid  investigation  of  facts  and  eternal  prin- 
ciples ordained  by  the  Creator  ;  and  every  success  in 
practice  has  been  in  exact  proportion  to  the  closeness 
of  adherence  by  inventors  to  these  unalterable  facts 
and  principles. 

"  It  is  matter  for  especial  notice  that  in  every  de- 
partment of  applied  science  we  have  to  deal  with  the 
unseen.  All  forces,  whether  in  physics,  mechanics, 
or  electricity,  are  invisible.  All  efforts  to  usefully 
apply  these  forces, — in  short,  all  progress  which  has 
recently  been  so  marvellously  made, — has  been  ow- 
ing, not  to  the  vague  conception  that  a  certain  force 
exists,  but  to  the  accurate  determination  of  the 
amount  of  that  force.  It  is  not  enough  to  know  that 
a  current  flows ;  the  practical  electrician  must  know 
how  much  current,  or  he  knows  nothing.  It  is  not 
enough  for  the  engineer  to  know  that  every  cause 
produces  an  effect ;  he  must  be  accurate,  and  reckon 
the  magnitudes  of  both  cause  and  effect.  This  fact 
will  prove  of  incalculable  value,  if  carefully  borne  in 


STUDY  FACTS.  449 


mind,  in  dealing  with  those  other  fields  of  thought 
which  are  called  spiritual. 

"In  the  pursuit  of  exact  science,  every  inquirer  must 
go  direct  to  the  fountain  of  truth.  Here  is  no  charla- 
tanism, no  ipse  dixit  of  priest  or  pontiff,  no  order  of 
cardinal  or  convocation.  But  when  we  enter  the 
regions  of  Metaphysics  and  Theology,  we  still  find 
much  of  the  old  mistaken  methods  of  natural  philo- 
sophers remaining.  Formerly  men  endeavoured  to 
evolve  a  philosophy  out  of  their  own  inner  conscious- 
ness. What  they  supposed  must  be  the  laws  of 
Nature  they  dogmatically  asserted  to  be  her  laws. 
But  Nature  refused  to  be  bound,  and  determinedly 
concealed  her  secrets  until  men  gave  up  their  idea  of 
being  masters,  dictating  what  ought  to  be,  and  con- 
sented to  become  pupils  and  humbly  sit  and  learn  at 
Nature's  feet.  But  metaphysicians  and  theologians 
have  not  yet  taken  this,  the  only  proper  step,  to 
come  at  truth.  They  have  imposed  their  own  laws 
on  reason  and  faith,  and  set  up  a  high- priesthood  of 
their  own  to  enforce  them.  They  have  divorced  mind 
from  soul,  natural  revelation  from  written  revelation, 
and  scorn  the  methods  which  science  has  discovered 
to  be  the  only  means  of  ascertaining  truth.  But 
truth  is  one,  as  mind  is  one,  and  God  is  one.  So, 
too,  there  can  be  but  one  method  of  arriving  at 
spiritual  truth;  viz.,  an  unbiassed  examination  o^  facts, 
and  a  resolve  to  learn  from  these  as  they  are,  instead 
of  fanciful  supposition  as  to  what  ought  to  be. 

"  As  Metaphysics   may  be  called  the   pure  mathe- 
A.  M.  M.  29 


450  HO IV  IS  AFRICA    TO  BE  EVANGELIZED  1 

matics  of  Theology,  so  Missions  are  its  practical 
application,  and  are  destined  to  play  as  important  a 
part  in  correcting  the  vagaries  of  theologians,  as 
practical  engineering  has  done  in  the  domain  of 
theoretical  mechanics.  But  my  object  on  this  occa- 
sion is,  not  an  examination  of  doctrine,  nor  even  of 
the  truth  or  falsehood  of  those  momentous  trifles 
which  have  split  up  the  Church  of  the  One  Lord 
into  countless  denominations.  My  object,  and  the 
object  of  the  above  preamble,  is  to  show  that  in 
attacking  so  vast  a  problem  as  the  future  of  Africa, 
we  must  cast  aside  all  general  and  indefinite  concep- 
tions as  to  how  we  might  suppose  the  problem  will 
be  solved,  and  carefully  examine  the  conditions  and 
actual  facts  of  the  case,  allowing  these  to  direct  us  to 
a  true  solution. 

"  Fact  No.  I.  Here  is  a  mighty  continent,  sunk  for 
centuries  in  ignorance  and  degradation.  Its  past 
history  is  a  story  of  woes  and  cruel  wrongs.  For 
ages  it  has  been  a  prey  to  every  form  of  greed  and 
rapacity  of  man.  Greek  and  Roman,  Arab,  Moor, 
and,  lastly,  Turk,  have  swept  its  northern  half. 
Christian  Europe  with  Papal  sanction,  Protestant 
England — old  and  new, — Arab,  and  heathen  Hindu 
have  conspired  to  drain  the  life's  blood  of  the  south- 
ern half.  All  these  fires  have  raged  for  ages,  yet  as 
we  look  around,  we  are  bound  to  wonder  that  nee 
ta7nen  consuniehatur.  In  former  years  the  universal 
aim  was  to  steal  the  African  from  Africa.  To-day 
the  determination  of  Europe  is  to  steal  Africa  from 


SECRET  OF  THE  ARAB'S  SUCCESS.  45 » 

the  African.  In  the  name  of  Christianity,  free  trade, 
and  civilization,  we  see  firewater  and  firearms  pour- 
ing in  at  every  port.  These  compete  with  the 
Moslem  and  heathen  slaver  for  possession  of  the 
field.  Our  foes  are  wiser  than  we,  and  have  added 
our  firearms  to  their  stock-in-trade,  and  by  means  of 
these  they  are  to-day  all  but  masters  of  the  situa- 
tion. 

"  Fact  No.  2.  The  secret  of  the  Arab's  success  in 
Africa  is  threefold. 

"  I.  His  Intrepidity.  He  will  go  through  fire 
and  water,  and  expose  himself  to  innumerable 
dangers,  in  quest  of  ivory  and  slaves.  No  other 
race  of  men  has  ventured  to  run  such  risks  for  so 
uncertain  a  return. 

"2.  His  Perseverance.  Sorely  mulcted  by  petty 
chiefs  ;  war  and  famine  constantly  closing  his  road ; 
English  cruisers  at  the  coast  chronically  making 
'prizes'  of  his  profits; — yet  he  never  desponds. 
When  one  route  is  closed  against  him,  he  never  fails 
to  find  another. 

"  3.  His  Determination.  In  the  Soudan,  on  the 
Congo,  in  Eastern  Africa,  white  men  have  crossed 
swords  with  Arabs  ;  but  in  every  instance,  though 
the  European  force  was  well  armed  and  well  organ- 
ized, and  the  Arab  following  a  mere  rabble  of  slaves 
and  untrained  savages,  the  Arab  pluck  and  deter- 
mination have  excited  the  admiration  of  all,  and  left 
them  masters  of  the  field,  while  Europe  has  igno- 
miniously  retired. 


452  SOPV  IS  AFRICA    TO  BE  EVANGELIZED? 

"Fact  No.  3.  Spurred  by  philanthropic  feelings, 
and  eager  to  repair  past  injuries,  Europeans  have 
again  and  again  tried  to  do  something  for  the  good  of 
Africa.  What  that  something  should  be,  has  seldom 
been  very  clear  to  the  promoters  of  the  enterprise, 
so  that  the  result  of  many  undertakings,  and  of  the 
expenditure  of  vast  sums  of  money  and  many  lives, 
has  been  Failure. 

"The  secret  of  European  failure  is  fivefold. 

"  I.  Intermittent  and  only  half-hearted  action. 
Those  who  have  made  a  study  of  the  history  of 
schemes  for  the  benefit  of  Africa,  cannot  fail  to  note 
the  fits  and  starts  by  which  these  schemes  have  been 
characterized  ;  a  strange  contrast  to  Arab  steady 
perseverance. 

"  2.  Want  of  a  determined  policy  in  both  starting 
and  supporting  schemes.  The  miserable  vacillation 
of  English  policy  in  Egypt  and  in  the  Soudan  ;  the 
half-and-half  national  support  of  the  Missions  to  the 
great  Lakes,  a  support  instantly  withdrawn  whenever 
danger  was  imminent;  the  make-believe  efforts  to  stop 
slaving  on  the  East  African  coast, —  these  are  but 
examples  of  the  weaknesses  of  white  men's  schemes, 
and  are  to-day  a  by-word  in  Africa  and  all  the  East. 

"  3.  The  mutual  jealousy  between  the  dift'erent 
European  Powers,  in  the  scramble  for  Africa,  has 
contributed  largely  to  failure.  The  halting  action  of 
England  in  Egypt,  owing  to  the  jealousy  on  the  part 
of  France  ;  the  contemptible  feuds  between  Germany 
and   England   in   East   Africa,  as   if  half  a  continent 


SECRET  OF  EUROPEAN  FAILURE.  453 

were  as  confined  as  an  island  in  the  Pacific  ;  the  heart- 
burnings between  Portugal  and  the  rest  of  Europe, 
both  in  East  and  West  Africa  ; — these  strifes  en- 
gender ill-feeling,  and  Africa  suffers. 

"4.  The  foolish  rejection  at  the  coast  of  all  the 
resources  of  civilization,  on  the  part  of  nearly  every 
expedition  into  Africa,  has  been  a  conspicuous  source 
of  failure.  The  Arab,  with  our  arms  and  his  porter- 
age by  slaves,  will  ever  cast  into  the  shade  the  fresh- 
man from  Europe  with  his  hired  porters.  What 
countless  sums  have  been  lost  in  trying  to  perpetuate 
the  inhuman  system  of  human  porters  !  The  tedious 
rate  of  progress  of  biped  caravans,  and  the  perpetual 
annoyances  attending  them,  have  turned  back  in  dis- 
gust many  a  European,  who  otherwise  might  have 
accomplished  much  in  Africa. 

"5.  A  chronic  state  of  inefficiency  due  to  an  insuffi- 
cient staff  oi  men  at  every  station,  without  exception, 
in  the  whole  tropical  zone  of  Africa.  This  has 
often  arisen  from  a  false  economy,  but  more  fre- 
quently from  a  total  want  of  understanding  on  the 
part  of  the  home  authorities,  as  to  the  nature  of  the 
work  and  the  difficulties  attending  its  proper  execu- 
tion. This  point  will  be  more  fully  considered 
further  on. 

"  Fact  No.  4.  The  Climate  of  tropical  Africa  has 
hitherto  proved  fatal  to  all  European  enterprise, 
whether  Religious,  Commercial,  or  Political.  This 
fact  will,  doubtless,  be  regarded  by  some  as  more 
important  than  any  or  all  of  those  already  enumer- 


454        ^OIV  JS  AFRICA    TO  BE  EVANGELIZED t 


ated,  and  therefore  should  have  the  first  place.  I 
believe  not,  although  Dr.  Blyden  and  others  have 
brought  this  forward  as  a  challenge  to  the  whole  of 
Europe  and  America.  '  Unless  we  can  send  men  of 
iron,  proof  against  hunger  and  deadly  miasma,'  say 
they,  '  we  need  never  expect  to  subdue  Africa,  either 
temporarily  or  permanently.'  That  white  men  have, 
in  large  and  unprecedented  numbers,  been  victims  to 
the  climate,  there  is  no  denying ;  but  that  this  fact 
should  be  thrown  down  as  a  challenge  to  the  whole 
Anglo-Saxon  race,  and  past  fatality  taken  as  a  cer- 
tain indication  of  future  failure,  I  cannot  allow,  for 
the  following  reasons  : — 

"  (i)  I  have  generally  found  the  natives  themselves 
to  be  quite  as  subject  to  fevers  and  other  ills  as  white 
men  in  the  same  locality, 

"(2)  Most  severe  illnesses,  in  the  case  of  white  men 
in  Africa,  arise  from  their  own  imprudence  or  want 
of  knowledge  of  cause  and  effect. 

"  (3)  Where  white  men  exercise  care  and  prudence, 
they  have  been  able  to  live  in  fair  health  for  a  long 
period  of  years,  even  while  there  has  been  a  high 
mortality  among  blacks  in  the  same  region. 

"  (4)  Our  knowledge  of  the  conditions  injurious  to 
health  in  tropical  Africa  is  constantly  increasing;  and 
when  such  essential  facts  are  more  generally  recog- 
nised as  that  chill,  and  not  malaria,  is  the  main  cause 
of  African  fever,  the  foe  will  be  defied  on  his  own 
ground,  and  the  Anglo-Saxon  will  outlive  his  black 
companions  even  in  the  heart  of  Africa. 


THE  PROBLEM  AND  ITS  SOLUTION.  455 

"(5)  There  are  many  regions  on  the  earth's  surface; 
e.g.,  the  Southern  States  of  America,  tropical  South 
America,  India,  and  Oceania,  where,  from  low  altitude 
or  other  reasons,  the  climate  is  apparently  worse  than 
anywhere  in  Africa.  Yet  in  these,  white  men  have, 
within  the  space  of  a  hundred  years,  become  in  great 
measure  acclimatized. 

"(6)  For  convenience  of  transport,  Europeans  have 
hitherto  chiefly  confined  their  exertions  to  the  valleys 
of  the  great  rivers — the  Nile,  Congo,  Niger,  Zambesi 
— ^just  the  most  low-lying  and  unhealthy  regions  in 
the  whole  continent.  When  they  begin  to  use 
wheeled  vehicles,  and  thus  find  ready  access  to 
healthier  sites,  we  shall  see  less  mortality  among 
them. 

"  Fact  No.  5.  All  the  causes  above  mentioned  as 
hitherto  deterrent  to  military,  commercial,  and  poli- 
tical success  in  Africa,  operate  with  still  greater  force 
against  missionary  enterprise. 

"  We  now  come  to  the  problem  itself,  and  its  so- 
lution. Let  us  keep  carefully  before  us  the  above 
facts,  which  may  be  summed  up  in  the  one  word 
failure,  attending  all  foreign  effort  for  the  benefit  of 
Africa.  Let  us  see  if,  by  analogy  from  another  field 
of  thought,  we  may  possibly  arrive  at  some  solution 
of  the  hitherto  apparently  hopeless  problem — *  HOW 
IS  Africa  to  be  Christianized  } ' 

"  That  the  African  is  capable  of  Christianization, 
and  of  rising  to  take  his  place  among  the  foremost 
races  of  men,  I  regard  as  an   indisputable  fact.     Let 


456        BOW  IS  AFRICA    TO   BE  EVANGELIZED t 

it  be  remembered  what  Europe  was  at  the  beginning 
of  our  era.  There  we  find  fetishism,  polygamy, 
slavery,  absolute  savagery,  in  many  instances  worse 
than  anything  to  be  found  in  Africa  to-day.  Chris- 
tianity was  introduced  in  no  feeble  and  halting  spirit, 
and  notwithstanding  the  many  corruptions  of  the 
Church  of  those  days,  the  change  wrought  was  more 
than  marvellous.  It  is  from  the  naked  savages 
of  Albion  and  Germania  that  have  sprung  such 
names  as  Newton  and  Shakespeare,  Handel  and 
Goethe.  A  present  meeting  of  Committee  of  a 
Missionary  Society,  deliberating  about  the  extension 
of  work  abroad,  is  but  the  Christian  development  of 
those  palavers  which  once  were  held  by  skin-clad 
Britons  on  the  grassy  bank  of  the  Thames,  where, 
with  battle-axe  in  hand,  they  debated  plans  for  a 
raid  on  a  neighbouring  tribe.  The  problem  to  be 
solved,  and  the  conditions  of  the  case,  were  pretty 
much  the  same  in  Europe  once  as  they  are  now  in 
Africa. 

"  An  engineer,  in  undertaking  to  throw  a  bridge 
across  a  river  or  ravine,  finds  himself  limited  on 
every  hand  in  arranging  his  design.  Three  things 
may  especially  be  noted  as  limiting  the  design. 

"(i)  The  nature  oi  the  foundation. 

"  (2)  The  materials  at  his  disposal. 

"(3)  The  conditions  under  which  the  workmen  will 
have  to  build. 

"  If  the  foundation  is  good,  he  may  build  his  bridge 
on  piers,  but  here  he  is  limited  by  the  depth  he  must 


THE    WRONG  PRINCIPLE  ADOPTED.  457 

go,  for  workmen  cannot  safely  live  in  water  beyond 
a  certain  depth,  nor  can  piers  be  carried  up  to  a 
height  beyond  the  strength  of  the  foundation  to  bear 
the  superstructure.  If  he  fixes  upon  the  suspension 
principle,  he  is  again  limited  as  to  length  of  span,  for 
the  best  material  extant  will  only  bear  a  certain 
weight,  while  the  conditions  under  which  the  erecters 
will  have  to  work  may  be  impossible.  In  other 
words,  the  engineer  must  so  arrange  his  design  that 
in  no  part  of  the  structure  must  any  member  be 
strained  beyond  what  it  can  safely  bear  ;  nor  must 
the  design  be  such,  however  theoretically  beautiful, 
as  to  be  impossible  of  execution. 

"  Now,  in  endeavouring  to  span  the  continent  of 
Africa,  we  must  keep  these  conditions  constantly  in 
mind.  In  the  case  of  bridge-piers,  the  main  conditions 
are  that  they  stand  on  a  good  foundation,  are  strong 
enough  for  the  portion  of  weight  to  be  borne  by  each, 
and  that  all  rise  to  the  same  level.  The  pier  prin- 
ciple is  that  hitherto  adopted  in  Africa  in  Mission 
work.  Lines  of  stations  have  been  planted,  but  too 
frequently  in  unhealthy  centres,  and  these,  like  piers 
on  a  bad  foundation,  have  frequently  collapsed,  or 
have  been  unduly  loaded  for  their  strength,  hence 
gaps  are  constantly  occurring.  The  plan  has  proved 
a  conspicuous  failure. 

"  Others  have  tried  the  suspension  principle,  but 
with  no  better  success.  A  tower  of  strength  has 
been  built  at  tach  side  of  the  mighty  chasm — one  at 
Freetown,    the  other   at    Frere    Town — and    strong 


4S8        HOW  IS  AFRICA    TO   BE  EVANGELIZED t 

links  have  been  hung  out  from  either  side,  in  the 
hope  of  uniting  in  the  centre.  But  the  span  has 
proved  too  great  for  the  structure.  Some  of  the 
strongest  links  have  now  and  then  given  way,  and 
the  whole  erection  has  again  and  again  been  in 
danger  of  falling.  Every  one  knows  that  in  suspen- 
sion bridges  we  have  not  merely  the  two  gigantic 
chains  joining  pier  with  pier,  from  which  the  whole 
platform  is  suspended,  but  the  landward  ends  of  the 
chains  must  be  firmly  tied  back  to  the  solid  rock, 
otherwise  the  piers  will  give  way,  and  the  whole 
bridge  will  fall  into  the  abyss.  So,  too,  our  landward 
or  homeward  ends  have  been  now  and  then  rendered 
shaky  from  want  of  being  properly  weighted  down 
by  home  support.  The  design  has  proved  a  failure, 
even  in  the  very  trifling  length,  so  far  completed  ; 
more  and  more  of  a  failure  will  it  prove  as  the  plat- 
form is  lengthened,  and  a  still  heavier  strain  comes 
upon  the  piers.  The  progress  of  erection  has  also 
been  hindered  from  want  of  confidence  in  the  design 
on  the  part  of  the  promoters,  in  addition  to  chronic 
and  sudden  hurricanes  which  have  swept  past  and 
destroyed  large  portions  which  took  years  in  erec- 
tion. 

"  Is  the  problem,  therefore,  to  be  given  up  as  in- 
soluble }  I  think  not.  Have  we  begun  to  build, 
and  are  we  unable  to  finish  .-*  Possibly  we  did  not 
with  sufficient  care  count  the  cost  at  first,  and  now 
we  are  inclined  to  despair.  In  our  teeth  is  thrown  a 
challenge   by  an  educated   African,      Is  his  solution 


NO  HOPE  IN   THE  AMERICAN  NEGRO.  459 

the  only  one,  or  will  it  prove  a  solution  at  all  ?  He 
asserts  that  the  cure  for  Africa  is  the  American 
Negro  in  Africa.  Methinks  the  experiment  in 
Liberia  has  not  hitherto  proved  such  a  decided 
success  as  to  lead  us  to  have  confidence  in  it  when 
tried  on  a  larger  scale.  Like  the  old  Israelites  of  the 
Exodus,  their  souls  have  not  emerged  from  bondage, 
although  their  bodies  are  free.  We  must  wait  for  all 
that  generation,  from  twenty  years  old  and  upwards 
at  the  time  of  the  Abolition,  to  die  off  first.  There 
may  be  more  pluck  and  less  of  the  slavish  spirit  in 
the  new  generation.  Even  then  I  am  doubtful  of  the 
result.  There  seems  to  be  little  or  no  enthusiasm 
for  African  regeneration,  on  the  part  of  the  mass  of 
coloured  people,  either  in  the  States  or  in  the  West 
Indie.s,  or  even  in  Liberia  itself  Judging,  too,  from 
what  I  have  seen  of  Africans  when  removed  from 
their  native  locality,  to  one  not  very  different  in 
either  food  or  climate,  I  have  too  much  reason  to 
believe  that  the  American  Negro  will  be  less  at 
home  in  Africa  than  even  the  European. 

"  Rejecting,  therefore.  Dr.  Blyden's  solution,  as  a 
scheme  of  good  hope,  but  of  slender  chance  of  success, 
let  us  look  around  for  other  agents  who  might  thrive 
in  Africa,  and  convert  it  to  Christianity. 

"Were  the  Arabs  Christians,  we  could  have  good 
hopes  of  their  success,  from  their  indomitable  pluck 
and  perseverance.  But,  alas !  Arabia  has  been 
neglected  by  the  Church  of  Christ  ;  and  to-day, 
where  we  might  look   for  invaluable  missionaries  of 


46o        HOW  IS  AFRICA    TO  BE   EVANGELIZED? 

the  Gospel,  we  find  only  fanaticism  for  a  false  faith. 
Hindus  would  probably  find  the  climate  of  Africa 
not  dissimilar  to  their  own  ;  but  the  teeming  millions 
of  heathen  in  India  cannot  afford  to  part  with  their 
feeble  band  of  native  evangelists, 

"  Africa/^r  the  African,  and  its  regeneration  by  the 
African,  is  a  familiar  watchword,  and  one  that  merits 
attention  and  examination.  But  how  is  the  African 
to  impart  instruction  to  his  fellows  until  he  first 
receives  instruction  himself.^  There  can  be  no  evolu- 
tiojt  without  corresponding  and  previous  involution. 
You  can  get  nothing  out  of  the  African  without  first 
putting  it  into  him.  Every  effect  must  have  a  cause, 
nor  will  water  rise  higher  than  its  source.  Merely 
to  teach  the  African  reading  and  writing,  and  the 
elements  of  religious  and  secular  knowledge,  will  be 
to  leave  him  as  before — a  hewer  of  wood  and  a 
drawer  of  water.  To  quote  the  words  of  one  of  our 
ablest  African  missionaries  (Johnson  of  Lagos)  : — 
*  We  must  provide  the  Negro  with  the  highest  edu- 
cation we  can,  only  on  the  basis  of  African  peculiari- 
ties' Who  is  to  do  this  ?  For  many  years  to  come, 
probably  for  a  century  at  least,  this  must  be  the  work 
of  the  Anglo-Saxon.  But  how  and  where  is  this  to 
be  done?  In  Africa  itself.'  Do  not  Europeans  die 
off  there  in  almost  every  part  of  its  tropical  zone  ? 
Are  not  our  funds  also  low,  and  existing  stations 
already  too  insufficiently  manned,  to  be  able  to  under- 
take the  work  of  carefully  training  a  few,  in  addition 
to  our  ordinary  work  of  the  elementary  teaching  of 


THE   CANTILEVER  PRINCIPLE.  461 

many  ?  The  problem  is  difficult,  and  under  the  pre- 
sent regime  insoluble.  Perhaps,  however,  we  may 
look  once  more  to  engineering  for  a  solution. 

"  To  span  the  Firth  of  Forth  with  a  railway  bridge 
has  long  defied  the  utmost  skill  of  engineers.  The 
water  is  too  deep  to  render  piers  possible,  while  the 
span  is  too  great  to  render  the  suspension  prin- 
ciple at  all  feasible.  Did  they  therefore  entirely 
abandon  the  scheme  as  impracticable  .-*  No.  They 
adopted  a  natural  principle,  perfect  in  conception 
and  comparatively  easy  of  execution  ;  although  the 
work  is  on  so  gigantic  a  scale  that  to  compare  it 
with  the  largest  existing  bridge  is  like  comparing  a 
grenadier  guardsman  with  a  new-born  infant.  The 
principle  is  called  the  Cantilever,  which  even 
the  most  unmechanical  mind  can  understand  at  a 
glance.  At  each  side  of  the  Firth  a  high  tower  is 
built.  Each  of  these  towers  is  like  the  upright  stem 
of  a  balance,  or  the  stem  of  a  tree,  for  from  each  side 
of  the  tower  an  arm  or  branch  is  built  outwards,  one 
to  the  right  and  one  to  the  left.  For  every  foot  in 
length  that  is  added  to  the  seaward  arm  a  similar  foot 
length  must  be  added  to  the  landward  arm,  so  as  to 
make  the  balance  even.  The  seaward  arms  on  each 
side  are,  however,  not  continued  until  they  meet,  but 
stop  short  when  their  extremities  are  several  hundred 
feet  from  each  other.  To  fill  this  gap  an  ordinary 
girder  is  placed,  having  its  ends  resting  on  the  sea- 
ward ends  of  the  two  cantilevers.  In  this  marvel- 
lously simple  way  the  mighty  chasm  (one-third  of  a 


462         HOW  IS  AFRICA    TO  BE  EVANGELIZED? 

mile)  is  spanned,  which  could  not  be  done  on  any 
other  known  principle. 

"Let  us  adopt  this  principle,  by  analogy,  as  our 
solution  of  the  African  problem.  Instead  of  vainly 
struggling  to  perpetuate  the  method  of  feebly 
manned  stations,  each  holding  only  precarious  exist- 
ence, and  never  able  at  best  to  exert  more  than  a 
local  influence,  let  us  select  a  few  particularly  healthy 
sites,  on  each  of  which  we  shall  raise  an  institution 
for  imparting  a  thorough  education,  even  to  only  a 
few.  But  instead  of  drawing  from  the  general  fund 
for  the  support  of  such  institutions,  let  each  be 
planted  on  a  base  of  a  fund  of  its  own  ;  and  for  every 
man  added  to  the  staff  abroad,  let  there  be  secured 
among  our  friends  at  home  a  guarantee  of  sufficient 
amount  to  support  him.  This  is  the  land  arm  of  the 
cantilever  :  the  man  in  the  field  is  the  seaward  arm. 
Each  institution  must  be  a  model  or  normal  school, 
no  one  being  admitted  on  the  staff  who  has  not  been 
trained  to  teach.  The  pupils  to  receive,  not  an  elemen- 
tary, but  as  high  an  education  as  is  in  the  power  of 
their  teachers  to  impart,  only  with  the  proviso  that 
every  pupil  is  to  become  a  teacher  himself.  These  in- 
stitutions to  be  placed  sufficiently  far  apart,  so  as  not 
to  interfere  with  each  other,  while  for  Eastern  Africa 
only  OJie  language,  viz.  Suahili,  to  be  adopted  in  all. 
From  these  centres,  each  with  a  large  staff  of  teachers, 
the  students  will  go  forth  to  labour  among  their 
countrymen,  thus  filling  up  the  gap  between  the  long 
arms  of  the  cantilever.     Lovedale  and   Blythswood, 


THE  MODEL  SCHOOL.  463 

in  South  Africa,   I  would  mention  as  types  already 
successful  in  no  ordinary  degree. 

"We  cannot  put  new  wine  into  old  bottles.  We 
must  educate,  and  that  thoroughly,  those  who  will,  in 
time,  take  our  place  in  the  Christianizing  of  their  own 
continent.  To  teach  these  African  children  to  exercise 
their  reason  and  their  conscience,  to  think,  to  judge,  is 
a  work  which  must  be  done.  It  is  not  every  one  who 
will  be  able  to  take  part  in  such  a  work.  Everything 
like  ideas  of  race  superiority  must  be  absent  from  the 
teacher's  mind.  He  must  be  a  master  of  method,  and, 
first  of  all,  able  to  impart  the  knowledge  he  possesses. 
Everything  like  gowns  and  caps  and  other  parapher- 
nalia of  white  men's  colleges  must  be  rigidly  ex- 
cluded. While  provision  is  made  for  imparting  a 
thoroughly  good  education,  that  must  be  pervaded  in 
every  part  by  a  Christian  spirit,  and  based  on  the 
Bible,  which  will  be  the  leading  text-book,  and  which 
all  must  learn  without  exception. 

"  In  this  way,  probably  soon,  but  under  our  present 
system,  NEVER,  will  the  prophecy  of  Victor  Hugo  be 
fulfilled,  that  '  the  next  century  will  make  a  MAN  of 
the  African.' 

"A.  M.  Mackay. 

"Victoria  Nyanza, /«/r,  1889." 

[In  sending  this  article  for  publication,  he  said,  "  To 
be  continued  ;"  but  no  continuation  of  it  has  been 
received.] 


MACKA  rs  LAST  MESSAGE, 


To  Eugene  Stock,  Esq.,  Editorial  Secretary^  C.MS. 

"  USAMBiRO,/a««ary  2«^,  1890. 
"  But  what  is  this  you  write — '  Come  home '  ?     Surely  now,  in 
our  terrible  dearth  of  workers,  it  is  not  the  time  for  any  one  to 
desert  his  post.     Send  us  only  omx  first  twenty  men,  and  I  may 
be  tempted  to  come  to  help  you  to  find  the  second  twenty. 
"  Ever  yours  affectionately, 

"A.  M.  Mackay.'- 

"  The  world  is  giving  to  the  Church  an  example  of  enter- 
prise. Life  and  wealth  are  being  freely  consecrated  to  the 
opening  up  of  Africa  under  the  influence  of  motives  which  are 
not  of  the  highest  order,  though  having  a  mixture  of  benevo- 
lence in  them.  Should  not  the  love  of  Christ  constrain  us  to 
be  even  more  energetic .'' 

"  Does  it  ?  Where  are  volunteers  ?  Where  are  the  investors  ? 
Where  are  the  wise  and  talented  leaders  ?  Where  are  the 
unselfish  heroes  and  heroines,  who  give  their  lives  gladly  that 
Africa  may  be  evangelized?" — Regions  Beyond,  Julv,  1890. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

MACKAY'S    LAST    MESSAGE, 
{Dated,   Usambiro,  itui  January,  1890.'^ 

"'T^O  the  world  outside,  Africa  still  presents  the 
J-  appearance  of  a  land  of  death  and  stagnation, 
where  generations  live  and  die  an  uneventful  life, 
with  no  revolutions  or  other  political  crises  to  mark 
epochs  in  their  history.  In  this  great  unknown  land, 
however,  events  move  apace,  and  sometimes  with 
alarming  rapidity.  Glancing  at  the  history  of 
Uganda  for  the  last  half-dozen  years,  we  cannot  fail 
to  be  struck  by  the  remarkable  succession  of  events. 

"/«  October,  1884,  King  Mtesa  died.  In  many 
respects  he  was  a  remarkable  man,  having  ruled  the 
country  since  ever  we  had  heard  of  its  existence.  His 
name  will  ever  be  associated  with  those  of  our  great- 
est travellers — Livingstone,  Speke,  and  Stanley.  He 
first  invited  Christian  missionaries  to  the  country, 
and  through  good  report  and  evil  report  he  befriended 
them  to  the  last.  Mwanga,  one  of  his  younger  sons, 
succeeded  him ;  a  vain  youth  with  a  vacillating  dis- 

^  Received  by  the  C.M.S.,  April  24th,  1890,  ten  days  after 
the  receipt  of  the  telegram  from  Zanzibar,  announcing  his 
death. 

4«7 


468  MAC  A' AY'S  LAST  MESSAGE. 

position,  who  had  yet  to  learn  that  the  Most  High 
ruleth  in  the  kingdom  of  men,  and  giveth  it  to  whom- 
soever He  will.  His  history  was  destined  to  be 
strangely  associated  with  that  of  the  growth  of  the 
kingdom  of  God  in  Uganda. 

"Iti  October,  1885,  Mwanga,  in  a  fit  of  fear  and 
madness,  ordered  the  execution  of  the  brave  Bishop 
Hannington,  who  had  travelled  unscathed  through 
the  most  lawless  part  of  Africa,  and  all  unknowingly 
entered  the  domains  of  a  monarch  whose  suspicion 
of  white  men  had  been  roused  to  the  highest  pitch 
by  the  malicious  slanders  of  Arab  traders.  Some 
months  previously  he  had  condemned  to  the  flames 
the  three  first  martyrs  for  the  faith,  and  crowned  his 
acts  of  cruelty  by  putting  to  death  his  favourite  page 
for  venturing  to  remonstrate  with  him  for  murdering 
the  bishop. 

"  October  of  1886  found  Mwanga  more  than  ever 
alarmed  at  the  spread  of  Christianity  in  his  country. 
In  May  he  had  ordered  a  general  massacre  of  the 
Christians  ;  many  were  speared,  and  others  tortured 
to  death,  more  than  thirty  being  slowly  roasted  alive 
in  one  murderous  pyre.  The  remaining  Christians 
had  to  wander  about  in  hiding,  homeless  and  help- 
less, and  still  the  persecuting  fury  raged  in  Mwanga's 
heart,  threatening  the  complete  extirpation  of  Chris- 
tianity in  the  land. 

"  The  year  1887  was  comparatively  uneventful  in 
Uganda  itself  Christianity  was  still  proscribed,  and 
terror  reigned.     But  the  invincible  leaven  was  still  at 


CIVIL    WAR.  469 


work,  and  many  were  being  secretly  added  to  the 
Church,  Mwanga,  abandoned  to  evil  thoughts,  was 
surely  working  his  own  ruin,  harassing  and  plunder- 
ing his  subjects  everywhere,  and  rendering  himself 
generally  odious.  In  October  of  that  year  our  Mission 
suffered  serious  reverses  in  Unyamwezi,  being  driven 
simultaneously  from  both  our  well-established  sta- 
tions, Uyui  and  Msalala, 

"Before  the  return  of  October,  1888,  Mwanga  was 
driven  from  his  throne,  by  the  combined  effort  of  his 
Christian  and  Mohammedan  soldiers,  who  had  dis- 
covered his  diabolical  plot  to  kill  them  all  by  starva- 
tion on  a  small  island  on  the  Lake.  A  new  king 
was  elected,  religious  liberty  proclaimed,  and  not  a 
{q."^  avowed  Christians  given  high  positions  of  author- 
ity in  the  country.  Mwanga  had  listened  to  the  evil 
counsels  of  the  Arabs,  but  they  failed  to  help  him 
in  his  hour  of  need.  His  successor,  Kiwewa,  proved 
no  wiser.  Arab  intrigue  again  found  scope,  and  the 
Christian  chiefs  were  accused  of  rebellion.  The 
charge  was  absolutely  without  foundation,  but  it  was 
enough  to  warrant  an  attack  upon  them  by  the 
Arab  party,  who  drove  them  from  the  country  and 
assumed  all  the  power  themselves.  That  sad  12th 
of  October  will  never  be  forgotten  by  our  people. 
Chiefs  and  commons,  rich  and  poor,  free  and  slave, 
they  fled  before  their  foes,  who  hotly  pursued  them. 
Everything  was  lost ;  wives  and  children,  home  and 
country.  No  man  could  return  to  take  anything 
from  his  house.     Clothes,  books,  their  all,  gone.     The 


470  MACJsT/iy'S  LAST  MESSAGE. 

European  missionaries  were  likewise  plundered  and 
expelled.  Hope  for  Christianity  in  Uganda  seemed 
to  be  at  the  very  lowest  ebb. 

"  It  is  1889,  and  the  I2th  of  October  has  again  come 
round.  On  that  day  of  the  previous  year,  the  Arabs 
were  the  victors  and  the  Christians  the  vanquished. 
Now  the  order  is  reversed.  These  same  Arabs  have 
had  to  leave  their  wealth  and  flee  for  their  lives ; 
some  of  their  comrades,  too,  have  left  their  bones  on 
the  same  hill-side  where  many  Christians  had  fallen 
in  the  treacherous  attack  of  the  year  before.  With 
loud  and  real  rejoicing,  Mwanga  is  carried  shoulder 
high  from  the  Lake  to  his  former  capital,  and  is 
made  Kabaka  once  more.  All  the  posts  of  authority 
are  occupied  by  Christians,  all  the  land  falls  into 
their  hands  ;  even  the  king  himself  is  no  more  their 
despotic  master  and  murderer,  but  a  helpless  instru- 
ment in  their  hands.    God  has  given  them  the  victory. 

"  But  it  has  been  a  year  of  bloodshed.  It  was  not 
they  who  took  the  field  against  the  Mohammedans, 
but  the  latter  who  sent  army  after  army  to  endeavour 
to  effect  their  annihilation.  In  repeated  battles  they 
have  had  to  face  a  foe  fanatical  in  temper,  as  well 
as  more  numerous  and  better  armed  than  themselves. 
Many  of  their  comrades  have  fallen,  far  more  than 
all  who  were  slain  by  Mwanga  in  all  his  bloody 
persecutions.  The  greatest,  and,  till  recently,  the 
most  tyrannical  power  in  all  East  Africa  is  now  in 
the  hands  of  men  who  rejoice  in  the  name  of  CHRIS- 
TIAN. 


A   GREAT  OPPORTUNITY.  471 

"  But  is  the  power  in  the  hand  of  Christianity  ? 
Shall  a  nation  be  born  in  a  day  ?  It  is  born,  but 
being  only  just  born  it  is  at  this  moment  in  the  most 
helpless  and  critical  condition  conceivable.  Shall  it 
ht  left  to  die  of  neglect,  or  mayhap  to  be  suckled  by 
some  ravening  wolf,  which  is  already  eager  to  nourish 
the  infant  nation  with  her  milk,  which  centuries  have 
shown  to  be  deeply  saturated  with  the  raven mg 
wolfish  nature  ?  Is  this  to  be  so  ?  or  is  it  the  resolve 
of  Christian  England  that  the  blood  of  PURE 
Christianity  shall  be  instilled  into  the  veins  of  this 
African  infant,  and  that  it  shall  be  brought  up  in 
the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord  ?  Mwanga 
writes,  '  I  want  a  host  of  English  teachers  to  come 
and  preach  the  Gospel  to  my  people.'  Our  Church 
members  urge  me  to  write  imploring  you  to 
strengthen  our  Mission,  not  by  two  or  three,  but  by 
twenty.  Is  this  golden  opportunity  to  be  neglected, 
or  is  it  to  be  lost  for  ever  ? 

"You  sons  of  England,  here  is  a  field  for  your 
energies.  Bring  with  you  your  highest  education 
and  your  greatest  talents,  you  will  find  scope  for 
the  exercise  of  them  all.  You  men  of  God  who 
have  resolved  to  devote  your  lives  to  the  cure  of 
the  souls  of  men,  here  is  the  proper  field  for  you. 
It  is  not  to  win  numbers  to  a  Church,  but  to  win 
men  to  the  Saviour,  and  who  otherwise  will  be  lost, 
that  I  entreat  you  to  leave  your  work  at  home  to 
the  many  who  are  ready  to  undertake  it,  and  to 
come  forth  yourselves  to  reap  this  field   now  white 


472  MACK  ATS  LAST  MESSAGE. 

to  the  harvest.  Rome  is  rushing  in  with  her  salva- 
tion by  sacraments,  and  a  reh'gion  of  carnal  ordi- 
nances. We  want  men  who  will  preach  Jesus  and 
the  Resurrection.  '  God  is  a  Spirit,'  and  let  him 
who  believes  that  throw  up  every  other  consideration, 
and  come  forth  to  teach  these  people  to  worship 
Him  in  spirit  and  in  truth. 

" '  Forget  also  thine  own  people  and  thy  father's  house  ; 
So  shall  the  King  desire  thy  beauty. 
Instead  of  thy  fathers  shall  be  thy  children. 
Whom  thou  shalt  make  PRINCES  in  all  the  earth.' 

"  A.  M.  M." 

Letter  from  Mr.  David  Deekes. 

"USAMBIRO,  Feb.  i2th,  1890. 
"My  dear  Dr.  Mackay, — 

"  I  am  very  sorry  indeed  to  have  to  report  to  you 
such  sad  news.  It  is  the  Lord's  doing,  and  we  know 
that  He  doeth  all  things  well,  therefore  we  shall  not 
murmur  nor  trouble,  but  willingly  and  joyfully  sub- 
mit to  His  blessed  will. 

"  It  has  pleased  the  dear  Lord  to  take  to  Himself 
your  brave  and  beloved  son  to  his  everlasting  home. 
He  passed  away  on  Feb.  8th,  at  11  p.m.,  during  a 
severe  attack  of  fever,  having  been  four  days  and 
nights  delirious  (malaria  fever). 

"  A  week  or  so  before,  he  was  kindly  setting  me  up 
for  a  journey  home  to  England,  on  account  of  my 
health,  which  has  been  bad  for  many  months.  On 
the  morning  I  was  to  start,  the  men  had  come  very 


CALLED   ''HOME."  473 

early  in  the  morning,  and  I  had  been  busy  helping 

them  pack  as  well  as  I  could.    Everything  was  ready 

at  sunrise.     When  I  began  to  look  for  Mr.  Mackay, 

I  found,  to  my  surprise,  that  he  had   not  come  out  of 

his  room.     I  went  to  him  at  once,  and  was  sorry  to 

find  him  taken  very  ill  with  fever.     I  at  once  decided 

to  stay  a  few  days,  and  dismissed  the  men.     In  five 

days  he  was  taken  from  us.     He  was  much  beloved 

by  all    his    fellow-missionaries.      The    Baganda,    for 

whose  good    he    devoted  his    life,    were    all    dotedly 

fond  of  him.     His  work  and  labour  of  love  here  will 

ever  continue  to  grow  and  bring  forth  fruit  to  the 

honour   and  glory   of    God,   whom    he   so  faithfully 

served  while  here  upon  earth. 

"  Yours  in  the  deepest  sympathy, 

"David  Deekes." 
Received  May  \2th. 

Extracts  from  Minutes  of  Committee  of 
THE  C.M.S. 

"April  22nd,  1890. — The  Committee  received  with 
deep  regret  the  news  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Mackay 
of  the  Nyanza  Mission,  and  adopted  the  following 
minute  : — Mr.  Mackay  was  the  last  survivor  in  Africa 
of  the  original  missionary  party  sent  out  in  1876,  in 
consequence  of  Mr.  H.  M.  Stanley's  challenge  to 
Christian  England  to  plant  a  Mission  in  Uganda. 
During  the  whole  period  of  nearly  fourteen  years  he 
never  once  left  the  shores  of  Africa,  and  for  the 
greater  part  of  the  time  he  was  in   Uganda   itself. 


474  MACRAY'S  LAST  MESSAGE. 

Mr.  Mackay's  talents  were  of  a  very  high  order,  and 
he  brought  to  bear  upon  the  cause  of  the  spread 
of  Christianity  and  civilization  in  Africa,  not  only 
remarkable  practical  resourcefulness  as  an  accom- 
plished engineer,  but  the  powers  of  a  vigorous 
and  cultivated  mind,  and  a  devotion  and  persever- 
ance unsurpassed  by  any  African  Missionary.  More- 
over, he  took  a  leading  part  in  the  direct  work  of 
the  Mission,  teaching  and  preaching  the  Word  of 
God,  and  fearlessly  proclaiming  Christ  as  the  Son  of 
God  and  the  Saviour  of  men,  in  the  teeth  of  bitter 
opposition  on  the  part  of  Mohammedan  traders  and 
others  ;  and  he  utilized  his  knowledge  of  both 
classical  and  modern  languages  in  reducing  the 
vernacular  of  Uganda  to  writing,  and  rendering  into 
it  portions  of  Scripture,  prayers,  etc.  The  Committee 
had  looked  forward  to  Mr.  Mackay's  experience  and 
ability  proving  still  more  useful  in  the  future,  under 
the  new  circumstances  of  the  opening  up  of  Equa- 
torial Africa  to  European  influence ;  but  it  has 
pleased  God  in  His  unerring  wisdom  and  love  to 
remove  His  servant  thus  early  from  the  scene  of  his 
untiring  labours.  The  Committee  direct  that  an 
expression  of  their  sincere  and  grateful  sympathy  be 
conveyed  to  Mr.  Mackay's  venerable  father  and  the 
other  members  of  his  family." 

The  Church  Missionary  /nte//z^encer  says  : — "Much 
as  we  valued  Alexander  Mackay,  we  were  quite  un- 
prepared for  the  burst  of  admiration  and  sympathy 


TESTIMONIES.  47/ 


evoked  by  his  death.  We  confess  frankly,  that  we 
had  not  at  all  realized  the  position  he  had  gained 
in  the  public  mind.  No  doubt,  Mr.  Stanley's  recent 
praise  of  him  has  helped  to  make  him  known ;  but 
that  evidently  only  clenched  an  impression  that  was 
already  abroad.  When  the  Times  correspondent  at 
Zanzibar  speaks  of  the  '  irreparable  loss  to  the 
cause  of  African  civilization '  involved  in  his  death  ; 
when  the  Pall  Mall  Gazette  calls  him  (not  very 
felicitously,  though)  '  the  St.  Paul  of  Uganda ; ' 
when  great  provincial  dailies,  like  the  Leeds  Mercury 
and  the  Manchester  Examiner,  devote  leading  articles 
to  him  ;  one  sees  that  the  world  can  now  and  then 
appreciate  a  missionary,  even  when  there  is  nothing 
sensational,  as  with  Patteson  and  Hannington,  in 
the  manner  of  his  death.  But  it  is  especially  inter- 
esting to  see  what  the  survivor  of  the  two  great 
travellers  who  first  discovered  Uganda  has  to  say  of 
him.  Colonel  J.  A.  Grant,  the  companion  of  Speke 
in  the  memorable  journey  of  1859-63,  thus  writes  to 
Mr.  Wigram  : — 

" '  I  had  the  utmost  confidence  in  him,  and  looked 
forward  to  the  time  when  he  would  sail  round  the 
Lake  in  his  own  steamer,  and  when  we  should  have 
him  amongst  us,  to  tell  all  he  knew  of  that  deeply 
interesting  country  which  I  almost  love,  Uganda.  .  .  . 
The  blow  to  civilization  in  Central  Africa  which  has 
fallen  on  us  all  is  not  easily  repaired,  for  a  score  of 
us  would  never  make  a  Mackay.' 

"  Newspapers  all  over  the  country  have  had  appre- 


476  MACKAY'S  LAST  MESSAGE. 

dative  notices  of  him,  and  many  of  them  leading 
articles.  Private  letters,  full  of  sorrow,  have  come 
from  all  quarters.  The  Convocation  of  York  passed 
a  special  resolution  of  sympathy  with  the  C.M.S. 
missionaries  and  Bishop  Tucker,  the  first  time  such 
a  thing  has  ever  been  done.  Several  other  bodies 
passed  similar  resolutions  ;  among  them,  the  General 
Assembly  of  the  Free  Church  of  Scotland,  and  the 
Foreign  Missions  Committee  of  the  same  Church." 

His  father  has  also  received  resolutions  of  sym- 
pathy from  the  British  South  African  Co.,  the 
Foreign  Missions  Committee  of  the  Free  Church  of 
Scotland,  the  Clan  Mackay  Society,  and  other 
bodies.  Mr.  Mounteney  Jephson  also  wrote  Dr. 
Mackay,  enclosing  a  cheque  for  £60  from  the 
Countess  de  Noailles,  Hy^res,  Var,  for  the  purchase 
of  a  small  marble  cross  to  place  over  the  grave  at 
Usambiro,  adding,  "  The  Countess  would  like  an 
inscription  in  Arabic,  Suahili,  and  English  put  on 
the  cross.  It  would  have,  she  thinks,  a  good  effect 
on  the  natives,  by  whom  he  was  so  much  beloved 
and  trusted,  if  this  memorial  was  always  in  their 
midst.  I  would  suggest  that  the  cross  should  be 
small,  so  that  it  might  be  the  more  easily  carried  up 
country." 

We  catch  a  last  glimpse  of  him  in  the  following 
touching  letter  to  Dr.  Mackay  from  A.  J.  Mounteney 
Jephson,  Esq.,  one  of  Dr.  H.  M.  Stanley's  officers  : — 


'' good-bye:'  477 


"  Z6y  Portland  Place,  W., 

''May  2nd,  1890. 
"  Dear  Dr.  Mackay, — 

"  Three  days  ago  I  received  a  letter  from  Africa, 
and  the  tears  came  into  my  eyes  when,  turning  it 
over,  I  read  your  son's  signature  at  the  end.  It  had 
been  written  only  three  weeks  before  his  death.  I 
can  express  myself  only  so  poorly  of  my  gratitude 
to  your  son  and  of  all  that  I  feel  about  him. 

"We  arrived  at  his  Mission  at  Usambiro  broken 
down  in  body  and  mind,  tired  and  wearied  from  the 
constant  strain  of  those  hard  months,  and  prostrated 
and  beaten  down  by  fever.  He  received  us  and 
gave  us  the  sincerest  welcome  it  is  possible  for  a 
man  to  give.  He  seemed  to  understand  all  that  we 
wanted,  and  with  the  utmost  delicacy  gave  us  exactly 
what  most  we  needed.  His  kindness,  his  goodness, 
his  cleverness,  his  gentle  sincerity,  and  kindly,  cheer- 
ful ways  endeared  him  to  us  all.  We  arrived  a 
handful  of  broken-down,  embittered  men  at  his 
station,  and  through  his  kindness  we  left  for  the 
coast  restored  to  health  and  with  a  fresh  zest  and 
love  for  our  work.  I  shall  never  forget  the  morning 
we  left  Usambiro.  He  walked  part  of  the  way  with 
us,  and  wished  us  good-bye ;  and  one's  whole  heart 
went  out  to  him  when  he  took  my  hand  and  wished 
me  God-speed.  That  lonely  figure  standing  on  the 
brow  of  the  hill,  waving  farewell  to  us,  will  ever 
remain  vividly  in  my  mind. 

"  It   was  so  inexpressibly   sad    to   get  his   letter, 


478  AfACKAY'S  LAST  MESSAGE. 

and  to  read  his  kind  expressions  to  me  after  we  had 
'  heard  of  his  death. 

"  Not  only  is  his  death  a  sadness  for  his  friends, 
but  it  is  an  irreparable  loss  to  Africa,  whose  cause  he 
had  so  deeply  at  heart  and  for  whom  he  worked  so 
devotedly. 

"  Africa  is  such  a  hard  mistress  to  serve,  and  she  is 
so  pitiless  to  her  servants.  Your  son's  name  is  now, 
alas!  added  to  that  long  list  of  devoted  men  who  have 
lost  their  lives  by  fearlessly  doing  their  duty.  His 
death,  too,  will  cause  a  feeling  of  dismay  to  his  African 
friends,  by  whom  he  was  so  trusted  and  beloved ;  for 
many  days  before  we  reached  his  Mission  we  heard 
from  the  natives  of  Mackay,  nothing  but  Mackay 
— they  seemed  to  care  for  and  know  of  no  one  else.^ 

"  I  feel  that  all  I  am  writing  is  such  a  wretched 
failure  in  expressing  the  almost  sacred  feeling  I  have 
about  your  son  and  his  work. 

"  Please  convey  my  expressions  of  sorrow  for  his 
loss  to  all  his  people,  and  please  accept,  dear  Dr. 
Mackay,  my  sincerest  and  deepest  sympathy  for  you 
in  your  sorrow. 

"Yours  sincerely, 

"  A.   J.    MOUNTENEY  JEPHSON." 

Mr.  Eugene  Stock  thus  sums  up  his  missionary 
character : — 

"Alexander  Mackay  was  one  of  the  missionaries 

>  "  Mackay's  name  seems  quite  a  household  word ;  I  con- 
stantly hear  it." — Bishop  Hannington. 


MISSIONARY  CHARACTER.  479 

whose  careers  illustrate  those  pregnant  words  of  St, 
Paul's  which  embody  one  of  the  most  important  of 
missionary  principles — *  Diversities  of  gifts,  but  the 
same  Spirit  * — 'differences  of  administrations,  but  the 
same  Lord ' — '  diversities  of  operations,  but  the 
same  God  which  worketh  all  in  all.'  Mackay  is 
identified  in  most  minds  with  the  industrial  and 
material  and  civilizing  side  of  Missions,  an  important 
side,  but  not  by  any  means  the  most  important.  It 
would  indeed  be  most  unjust  to  think  of  him  entirely 
in  that  aspect.^  A  man  who  was  one  day  grappling 
with  Mohammedans  in  strenuous  theological  argu- 
ment, and  '  preaching  Christ  that  He  is  the  Son  of 
God'  (in  that  respect  a  true  *  St.  Paul  of  Uganda')  — 

*  "To  all  the  Christians  in  England  having  sympathy  with  the 
religion  of  our  Master  : — I  am  your  friend,  the  first  convert  and 
follower  of  Mr.  A.  M.  Mackay  in  Uganda.  We  have  returned 
to  our  country  by  the  strength  of  our  Master  Jesus  Christ.  We 
have  arranged  that  full  liberty  shall  be  given  to  our  teachers  to 
teach  religion  in  Uganda,  but  our  teachers  now  are  few.  Mr. 
A.  M.  Mackay  has  gone  to  his  rest,  and  there  remain  two 
only,  Messrs.  Gordon  and  Walker.  Try  your  utmost,  then,  to 
persuade  our  Christian  brethren  to  come  and  help  us  in  the 
work  of  God. 

"There  are  many,  many  Baganda  who  want  to  read,  but  there 
are  no  books  to  teach  the  people,  because  our  brother,  Mr. 
A.  M.  Mackay,  has  gone  to  his  rest.  He  was  familiar  with 
Luganda,  and  printed  books  in  the  language. 

"Dear  brethren,  I  am  your  friend,  and  1  implore  your  sympathy 
on  behalf  of  the  religion  of  our  Master  Jesus  Christ,  that  you 
may  come  and  help  us  in  His  work,  so  that  our  Church  may  be 
strong  in  Uganda." — Extract  from  letter  to  C.M.S.,J'ro7n  Sem- 
bera  Mackay,  Usambiro,  April  "zyd,  1 890.     (See  p.  229.) 


4So  MACK  AY'S  LAST  MESSAGE. 

who  the  next  day  was  content  to  sit  for  hours  teach- 
ing boys  to  read,  and  explaining  to  them  simple 
texts — and  who  the  third  day  was  patiently  translat- 
ing the  blessed  words  of  life  into  a  language  that  had 
no  grammar  or  dictionary — such  a  man  was  no  mere 
industrial  and  civilizing  missionary.  At  the  same 
time,  he  was  one,  in  a  very  marked  degree ;  and  all 
missionaries  are  not  so.  There  are  'diversities  of 
operations.'  Our  brethren  who  have  lately  gone  to 
Africa  would  probably  not  work  in  Mackay's  way, 
nor  he  in  theirs.  But  God  can  and  does  use  both. 
And  alongside  the  love,  and  fervour,  and  simplicity 
which  we  trust  may  always  be  illustrated  in  Africa, 
may  God  give  to  some  of  His  missionary  servants 
the  practical  ability  and  skill,  the  wide  knowledge, 
the  readiness  of  resource,  the  invincible  devotion  to 
the  work  he  had  undertaken, — that  characterized 
Alexander  Mackay.  And  may  He  enable  those  on 
whom  He  has  bestowed  these  great  gifts  to  lay  them 
all  upon  His  altar,  and  to  consecrate  all  to  the  one 
grand  object  of  Missions,  the  conversion  of  souls  to 
Christ  !  " 

^'And  T  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  saying  unto  me, 
Write,  Blessed  are  the  dead  zvJiicJi  die  in  the  Lord 
ftom  henceforth :  yea,  saitJi  the  Spirit,  that  they  may 
rest  from  their  labours ;  and  their  works  do  follow 
them." — Rev.  xiv.  13. 


INDEX. 


Aberdeen,  3  ;  Grammar  School,  6,      Auchindoir,  3, 


Abyssinia,  78,  270. 

Adders,  234. 

Aden,  43,  44,  216. 

Africa,  10,  14,  27,  30, 

Africa  (East),  8,  27,  59,  87,  261, 
287,  292,  325,  327,  379.  436. 

African  Problem,  344,  446. 

Albert  Lake,  289,  340,  350,  408. 

Alexandria,  113. 

Alford  (Dean),  8. 

Ankoli,  407,  409. 

Anti-Slavery  Conference,  312. 
,,  Society,  347. 

Ants,  53,  54,  62,  71,  233. 

Arabia,  419,  459. 

Arabic,  121,  122,  130,  I40,  148, 
165,  215,  289,  335,  359,  362. 

Arabs,  51,  66,  74,  "Jl,  78, 
88,  89,  90,  104,  105,  123, 
124,  126,  134,  147,  150,  151, 
159,  164,  165,  183,  188,  205, 
208,  211,  216,  224,  225,  226, 
22S,  248,  261,  288,  289,  290, 
291,  301,  306,  320,  321,  334, 
335.  354,  355.  358,  359,  3SS, 
389,  390,  391,  393,  395,  417, 
418,  423,   433,   451,  469. 

Arkwright,  284. 

Arts,  School  of,  13. 

Ashantee,  78. 

Ashe,  Rev.  R.  P.,  213,  241,  249, 
250,  254,  257,  260,  263,  264, 
269,  274,  275,  278,  294,  299, 
300,  309,  313,  315,  317,  321, 
322,  323,  329,  330,  333,  340, 
343.  373,  374,  378,  379,  383. 
3S5,   386,  399- 

A.  M.  M. 


Bafumo,  the,  177. 
Bagamoyo,  49,  261,  428. 
Baganda,    the,   82,   94,    222,   22$, 

320,  410. 
Bahr  Ghazal,  289,  290,  292. 
Baker,  Sir  Samuel,  270. 
Baptisms,   126,  128,  229,  230,  231, 

240,    241,    248,    249,    264,    271, 

304,  413- 
Baptist,  John  the,  265. 
Baptists,  261. 
Basere,  the,  172. 
Basese,  the,  222. 
Baur,  Herr    Hofprediger,    16,    17, 

19,  21,  26. 
Baziba,  the,  221,  222. 
Belgians,  the  King  of,  49,  58,  312. 
Berber,  84. 

Berlin,  II,  14,  16,  17,  26,  262. 
Bible,  8,    16,    23,    139,    147,   218. 
Bible  Class,  18,  218,  249. 
Bible  Readings,   17. 
Birth,  3. 

Birthday,  25,  137,  232. 
Bismarck,  261,  263,  288,  34O,  350. 
Blackburn,    Mr.,    316,    373,    379, 

383. 
Blessing,  103,   141,  172,  245,  271, 

320. 
Blyden,  Dr.,  454. 
Boat-building,     71,    81,    83,    241, 

244,  245,  302,  374,  391,  395. 
Bonar,    Rev.   Dr.    H.,  13,    15,  20, 

23,  28. 
Botany,  107. 
Boyhood,  3. 

British  Association,  5,  48. 
48X  31 


482 


INDEX. 


British  Government,  62,   269,  272, 

309.  311,340,  342,350.  427- 
Britiih  Weekly,  3,  401. 
Brooks,  Mr.,  396. 
Brotherhood,  59,  61,  78. 
Brown,  Mr.,  53. 
Broyon,  M.,  51,  52,  53. 
Bruce,  Rev.  Dr.,  419. 
Budu,  261. 

Bullock-wagons,  47,  fO,  57,  60. 
Bumbire,  172,  248. 
Bunvoro,   20S,  273,   275,  334,    355, 

356,411,433. 
Burgash,  the  Seyid,  52,  66,  90, 165, 

166,    208,    262,    263,    2SS,   423, 

424. 
Burial,  196,  197,  235,  236. 
Burton,  86. 
Busi  Island,  354. 
lUisoga,    III,    208,    262,   263,   265, 

270,  312,411,413. 
r.uvuma,  223. 

Buxton,  Sir  T.  Fowell,  366,  367. 
Buzongora,  172,  221,  222,  238,  246, 

261. 
Bwani  Heri,  37,  52,  59. 

Cadenhead,  Capt.,  271. 

Cameron,     Commander,    49,    434, 

43«.  439- 
Cantilever,  Principle,  461. 
Caravans,   47,   50,   51,   56,    66,   88, 

89,  265,  315. 
Carlyle,  218. 
Carter,  Capt.,  271. 
Cassati,  Sgr.,  291,  320,  355. 
Charms,  87,  88,  in,  ii2,  124,  153, 

154,    157.    15^.    159,    169,    174, 

177,  219,  220,  305. 
Chemistry,  13. 
C:hildren,  51,  73,  89. 
Christianity,  24,  25,   39,  166,    175, 

245,    247,    258,    259,    260,    265, 

280,    284,    311,    324,    333,    335, 

342,    362,    369,   471. 
Christianity,  Practical,  16,  21,  22. 
Christians,  276,  315,  321,  324,  329, 

360,    361,    409,   410,    413,   416, 

470. 
Christmas,     155,     172,    304,    305, 

314- 


Church  of  Scotland,  28,  58. 
Classics,  6,  12. 
Clifford,  Rev.  Dr.,  240,  387. 
C.  M.  S.,    26,    27,  29,  31,  32,  47, 
58,  67,  70,   io5,  245,   274,  340, 

366,  379.  437,  473,  474- 
Companions,  14,  15. 
Congo,    the,   277,   286,   435,    455; 

Free  State,  261,  286,  287,  436. 
Contemporary  A'evic'v,  386. 
Converts,   135,  231,  248,  314,  315. 

326,  412. 
Copplestone,  Mr.,  115. 
Covenanters,  284,  348. 
Crete,  42,  43. 
Crompton,  284. 
Cruelty,    104,    III,    180,   182,   187, 

189,    194,    198,    256,    283,    294, 

308,  312,  329,  330,  345,  365. 

Daily  Telegraph,  28,  59,  96. 
Daisy,  the,  37,  45,  46,  47,  71,  80, 

81,  82,  96,  246. 
Dar-es-Salaam,  340,  350. 
Darfur,  288,  290. 

Davies,  Rev.  G.  P.,  18,  19,  21,  58. 
Day,  Mr.  St.  John  Vincent,  222. 
Deekes,    Mr.,  379,  389,  395,  400 

472,  473- 
Delhi,  90. 

Dervishes,  283,  288,  290. 
Devil  Possession,  172,  173,  232. 
Divination,  88,  174. 
Drawing,  12. 
Drink,  61,  78,  79,  335. 
Drumniond,  Prof,  265,  325,  369. 
Duff.  Rev.  Dr.,  27,  28,  29,  330. 
Dufili,  291. 
Duncan,  Rabbi,  22. 

Edinburgh,  11,  47. 
Edinburgh  University,  12. 
Education,  4,  12,  13. 
Egloffstein,  Graf  and  Grafin,  17. 
Egypt,  92,  93,   102,  no,   113,  204, 

'233,  28S,  290,  419. 
Egyptian,  Officers,  270,   273,   291, 

382,  387. 
Eleanor,  the,   245,  246,  267,  302, 

303,  307.  338,  351.  359- 
Electricity,  447. 


INDEX. 


483 


Elmslie,  Prof.  W.G.,  3. 
Emin  Pasha,  270,  272,    273,   290, 
291,    292,    315,    316,    320,    336, 

349.  351.  354,  355.  356,  374, 
382,  386,  387,  396,  398,  441. 

Engineer,  20,  26,  28,  50. 

Engineering,  12,  13,  14,26,  50,  54. 

Engines,  6,  14,  70,  72,  83,  95,  284, 
302,  326,  327. 

England,  30,  67,  77,  loi,  135,  165, 
183,  203,  205,  208,  239,  241, 
268,  271,  280,  281,  285,  287, 
293,  316,  340,  436. 

English,  the,  57,  66,  75,  79,  89, 
93,  108,  128,  152,  192,  193, 
226,   266,   272,    288,    289,    290, 

362,  397.  399- 
Entebe,  300. 
Equatorial    Provinces,    289,    290, 

292. 

Farrar,  Canon,  237,  238. 

Fatiko,  291. 

Fever,  see  Illness. 

Fire,     275,   331,    357,    3S8,    360, 

366. 
Forests,  55,  56,  60,  393. 
Fortification,  12. 
France,  281,  287. 
Free  Church,  3,    11,  28,  29,   106, 

476. 
Free  State,  277,  292,  293,  see  Congo. 
Free  Trade,  367,  436. 
French,  121,  123,  132. 
Frere,  Sir  Bartle,  49,  89. 

Geikie,  C,  D.D.,  237,  238. 
Geisicke,  Herr,  438. 
Geology,  13,  91,  92,  107,  222. 
German,    14,    15,    261,    263,    265, 

309.  379,  395.  396,  413- 
Germany,   14,  19,  26,  50,  261,  340, 

342,  350. 
Gessi,  2S9. 
Gladstone,  292. 
Glasgow  Merchants,  49. 
Goa,  79. 
Gordon,  General,  36,  102,  259,  260, 

264,   272,   288,   309,   311,   338, 

367,  387,  392. 


Gordon,  Rev.  Cyril,  241,  244,  247, 
299.  302,  304,  320,  322,  337, 
338,  364,  372,  373.  374.  375. 
379,  388,  390.  391,  392,  397. 
401,  403,  404. 

'•  Grace  and  Truth,"  28. 

Grant,  Colonel,  108,  206,  475. 

Gray,  Rev.  W.,  429. 

Green,  Dr.,  282. 

Gunboats,  67. 

Gunpowder,  335,  435,  440. 

Haig,  General,  419,  420,  426. 

Hannington,  Bishop,  238,  255, 
262,  265,  266,  267,  268,  270, 
271,  272,  273,  275,  276,  277, 
287,  300,  302,  312,  313,  324, 
337,    368.    413,  468,  475- 

Hannington,  Mrs.,  271. 

Highland  Lassie,  the,  48. 

Home,  3,  17. 

Homes,  90. 

Honga,  57. 

Hooper,  Mr.,  337,  374,  378,  379. 

Hovas,  the,  280. 

Human  Sacrifices,  197. 

Hutchinson,  Edward,  Esq.,  206 

Hyenas,  61. 

Idolatry,  23,  88,  155,  167,  177. 
Illness,    47,  48,    52,    65,  80,    103, 

225,  241,  256,  302,  337. 
Imago  Christi,  12,  300. 
Imperial   East  African    Co.,    310, 

340,  342,  400. 
India,  240. 
Indian  Famines,  93. 
Indian  Mutiny,  90. 
Industrial  Missions,  2,  106. 
Infidels,  15,  23,  24. 
Insch,  3. 

Intellioencer,  68,  474. 
International  Society,  58- 
Iron,  83. 
Islam,  75,  104,  117,  125,  175,  183, 

219,259.     .S".?^  Mohammedanism. 
Italy,  42. 
Ivory,    53,    66,    67,   89,  291,    354, 

355,440,451. 

Jeddah,  113,  2l6. 


484 

INDEX. 

Jephson,  A.  J.   Mounteney, 

Esq.. 

Kokoto-ni,  44,  79. 

476,  478. 

Koran,  the,  124,  126,  127,  130,  138, 

Jesuits,  41. 

213,  236.  360,  361. 

Jews,  127. 

Kottbus,  27. 

Johnson,  Rev.,  460. 

Krapf,  327. 

Johnston,  Dr.  A.  K.,  5. 

Kwa  Makolo,  384,  385. 

Jordan's  Nullah,  71. 

Jungle,  55.  56,  65. 

Lado,  291. 

Junker,  Dr.,  272,    273, 

276, 

278. 

Leith,  13. 

289,    291,    294,    315, 

322, 

329. 

Leopards,  112,  375. 

387.  392- 

Levesque,  Pere,  191. 

Liberty.   165,    166,    167,   193,   269, 

Kabarega,  270,  272,  273 

275 

276, 

284,  2S7.  326,  327.  328,  340. 

336.  355,  366,  433. 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  89. 

Kaduma,  69,  76,  78. 

Livingstone,  lO,  27,  368,  407,  434, 

Kaffir,  79. 

438,  467. 

Kagei,  67,  68,  69,  71,  73,  75,80, 

Livingslonia,  106. 

94,   222,     241,    247, 

248, 

256, 

Livinhac,  Pere,  190,  191,  192. 

302. 

L'Konge,  62.  74,   75,  76,  77,   IS». 

Kakumba,  304,  307. 

26S. 

Kalema,    Prince,    193, 

313. 

372, 

L.M.S.,  24,  58,  379,  396. 

393- 

London,  31,  205,  206,  207. 

Kalika,  291. 

London,  the,  48  224. 

Kangao,  205. 

Lourdel,  Pere,   120,   132,  133,  159, 

Kaolin,  107. 

163,    188,     192,    193,    196,    225, 

Karague,  42,  84,  91,  94. 

260,  354,  356,  360,  361,  402. 

Karamallah,  289,  290,  29 

I. 

Lubare,    the,    134,    148,    149.    150- 

Katikiro,  the,   112,  120, 

130. 

133. 

177,  215,  230,  231,  232,  236, 

146,    147,    151,    152, 

154. 

•57. 

Lugalama,  304,  307. 

161,    164,    166,    168, 

188, 

207, 

Luganda,    8,   125,    127.    129,    142, 

210,    236.    306,    331, 

337. 

338. 

146,    224,    229,    241,    250,    264, 

353.   356.. 

303.  359.  389.  392,  409- 

Katonga.  River,  261. 

Lupton  Bey,  289,  291. 

Kavirondo,  255,  263,  265 

267 

400, 

411. 

McCheyne,  16,  26. 

Keig,  3. 

Macdonell,  James,  Esq.,  3. 

Keith  Falconer  Mission,  / 

t25. 

Machinery,  6, 13,  14.  70,  108. 

Kennaway,  Sir  J.,  49. 

Mackay.   Rev.   A..  LL.D.,  3.  4,  8, 

Khartoum,  113,  204,  272 

288, 

289, 

29,   135,  209,  474,  476 ;  Letters 

291,315. 

to,  13,  22,  25,  33.  213.  231,  265, 

Khedive,  the,  259,  316. 

276,  293,  388,  472,  477. 

Kikwago,  60. 

Mackinnon,   Sir    Wm. ,    311,    340, 

Kilwa,  224. 

367- 

Kingani  River,  46. 

Madagascar,  20,  23,  26,  279-281. 

Kintu,  King,  190,  192. 

Magic  Men,  112. 

Kirk,  Sir  J.,  52,  266,  269 

,270 

Magu,  378,  388,  393,  395. 

Kisessa,  66. 

Magubika,  54. 

Kiwendo.a,  184,  185,  193 

»94.  »97. 

Mahdi,   the,   258,    259,    260,    272, 

198,  218,  331. 

283,  288,  291. 

Kiwewa,  King,  469. 

Makraka  Country,  290,  291. 

Knox,  John,  264. 

Malagasy,  20,  25. 

INDEX. 


485 


Malta,  40,  42,  204, 

Mamboya,  395. 

Manoiiga  River,  91. 

Manyuema,  67,  438. 

Maiy  Worship,  42,  129,  132. 

Marya,  222,  223. 

Masai,  84,  262,  265,  413. 

Masika,  the,  54,  65,  93. 

Marquet,  Monsieur,  291. 

Martyrs,  22,  62,  74,  256,   257,  267 

to  331,  360,  362,   363,  406,  411, 

412,  468. 
Massacres,  see  Kiwendo. 
Mechanical  Knowledge,  6,  82,  240. 
Mechanics,  Applied,  12. 
Medical  Dispensary,  32,  244. 
Medical  Missions,  3,  171,  346,  426. 
Medicine-men,  176. 
Medicines,  66,  87,   iii,    160,  161, 

169,    171,    188,    194,    195,    234, 

235. 
Mango,  353,  358. 
Meyer,  Rev.  F.  B.,  401. 
Meyers,  Dr.,  395. 
Miller,  Hugh,  5. 
Mirabeau,  303. 
Mirambo,  52,  59,  61,  62,  125,  247, 

268,  272. 
Mirembe,  the,  see  Eleanor. 
Mission  House,  301. 
Missionaries,  20,  23,  26,  58. 
Missions,    19,   20,    181,   269,    286, 

326.  447,  452,  456. 
Moffat,  Dr.,  368. 
Mohammed  Biri,  320,  354. 
Mohammedanism,    21,     118,    127, 

164,  217,  258,  259,  360,  423. 
Mohammedans,   74,    89,   iii,  128, 

130,  131.  133,  134,  150.  174, 
186,  227,  236,  260,  361,  362, 
390,  408,  412,  413,  417  to  430, 
470. 

Mombasa,  26,  27,  53,  84,  370, 
411. 

Morton,  Mr.,  50,  53,  61. 

Mosquitoes,  48,  61,  107,  243,  246. 

Mpwapwa,    47,    48,    51,     61,     65, 

224,  395- 
Msalala,  244,   245,    246,  256,  263, 
265,    267,    278,    279,   302,   307, 
336,  338,  356,  374,  375.  377- 


Msira  Island,  94. 

Mtamburu,  62. 

Mtesa,   King,    28,  59,   61,  62,   lOI 

to  255,  306,  467. 
Mujasi,  307,  308. 
Mukasa,  139,  14410  177. 
Mullens,  Dr.,  152. 
Murchison  Bay,  1 19. 
Murchison,  Sir  R.  I.,  5. 
Muscat,  90,  415  to  430. 
Mvumi,  62. 
Mwanga,   King,    255  to  388,  402, 

408,  468,  469,  470. 

Nalamansi,  Princess,  313. 
Namasole,  see  Queen-mother. 
Namkade,  305,  306,  423. 
Nasa,  373,  379,  389. 
Natete,  301, 
Negroes,  289. 
Nero,  276,  284,  331,  364. 
New  Testament,  8,  236,  336. 
Nicene  Creed,  129. 
Nicoll,  Rev.  Dr.,  3,  401. 
Nile,    the,  43,    84,    93,  273,    277, 
288,    291,    340,   350,    368,  435, 

455- 
Noailles,  Countess  de,  476. 
Normal  Schools,    11,    12,  73,  106, 

446. 
Ntebe,  139,  304,  357. 
Nyani-nyam,  291. 
Nyanza,    see      Victoria  ;     Pioneer 

Expedition,  3,  7,  14,  28,  30,  32. 
Nyassa,  340,  350,  433,  436. 

O'Flaherty,  Rev.  P.,  21 1,228  to  305, 

313,  314,  329,  359,  423. 
O'Neill,  37,  39,  45,  46,  61,  68,  71, 

74,  76,  77,  272,  287. 
Oman,  417  to  430. 
Osmanieh,  Order  of,  316. 

Pagazi,  50,  56. 

Pall  Mall  Gazette,  the,  475. 

Parker,    Bishop,    316,     335,    338, 

373  to  379,  383- 
Paterson,  Dr.  Maurice^,  12,  106. 
Paton,  Rev.  J.  G.,  36. 
Patronage,  332. 
Patteson,  Bishop,  18,  475. 


486 


INDEX. 


Paul,  St.,  12,  237. 

Peace,  328,  332. 

Pearsion,  Mr.,  159,  184,  1 89  to  1 94, 

214,  225,  226. 
Persecutions,    22,    332,    333 ;    see 

Massacres. 
Photography,  7,  32. 
Physiology,  105. 
Pier^on,  Rev.  Dr. ,  446. 
Plague,  387. 
Poiton,  102,  176. 
Polygamy,  104,  105,  109,  126,  133, 

134,  139- 
Portugal,  38,  287, 
Practical  Knowledge,    13,    16,  21, 

26,   36,    50,    81,    86.    100,    106, 

231,  232,  237,  246,  249. 
Price,  Rev.  Mr.,  49,  248. 
Primrose,  Rev.  Mr.,  11. 
Printing   Press,  5,    137,    139,   141, 

142,    233,  234,    241,    249,    250, 

275,  30S,  351,  352. 
Protestant  Missions,  281 ;  Powers, 

325'  333- 
Pruen,  Dr.,  323. 
Pump,  the,  227,  228. 

Quarle.q,  Francis,  202. 
Queen  Mary,  264. 
Queen  Victoria,  165,  268. 
Queen-mother,   162,  163,  164,  235, 
306. 

Ragged  School,  13. 

Railway,   326,  328,   340,  413,  461. 

Rani.say,  Sir  A.,  5. 

Ravenstein,  Mr.  (R.G.S.),  93,  278. 

Record,  the,  49. 

Red  Sea,  84,  204,  304. 

Refugees,  see  Christians. 

Rhynie,  3. 

Ripon  Falls,  84,  93,  265. 

Road -making,  51,  54,  57,  58,  108. 

Rohh,  Dr.,  53. 

Robertson,  James,  32,  46. 

Roma.  246,  247,  393. 

Roman  Catholics,  15,  41,  116  to 
123,  136,  186,  188  to  192,  215, 
219,  237,  260,  284,  285,  2S7,  309, 
355,  401,  403,  427. 

Roman  Empire,  284. 


Rome,  38. 

Romish  Missions,  281. 

Ruganda,  see  Luganda. 

Saabadu,  201. 

Sadani,37,  45,  46,  51,  52,  53,  59. 

Said  bin  Salim,  66. 

Said,  Port,  43. 

Savages,  55,   72,   83,  88,  173,  244, 

291,  327. 
School,  73,  140,  240,  264,  265. 
SeideVs  Industrial  Instruction,  141. 
Sengerema,   222. 
Serpents,  234. 
Sesse  Islands,  222,  397. 
Shangani  Point,  53. 
Shipwreck,  37,  45,  6l,  94,  95. 
Simeyu  River,  91. 
Simpson,  Robt.,  Esq.,  13. 
Skill,    Practical,  13,  14,  i6,  21,  29, 

50,  109,  140,  235,  249,  250. 
Slave-trade,  10,47,  51.  52,  66,  67, 

74,  89,  90,  104,    105,   109,   iir, 

224,    265,   277,   285,    286,   290, 

431. 

Smallpox,  387. 

Smith  &  Co.,  S3. 

Smith,  Colonel  Euan,  391,  429. 

Smith,  Dr.  John,  3,  13,  32,  47,  299, 

346. 
Smith,  Lieut.,  32,  44,  45,  46,  61, 

68,  70,  73.  74,  76,  77,  83,  165, 

248,  271,  287. 
Smith,   Prof.  W.  R.,  3. 
Smith   Sound,  241,  245,  246,  302, 

374.  375- 
Smithy,  109,  125,  153,  165,  250. 
Smythe,  Prof.  Piazzi,  5. 
Sobat,  289. 
Songoro,  74,  75,  77. 
Songura,  no,  iii.  . 

Sorcerers,  150,  166,  168,  171,   184,' 

232. 
Soudan,   270,   272,  281,  282,  288, 

289,    309,    340,    350,    383.    387. 

392. 
South  African  Co.,  400. 
Spain,  38,  42. 
Spectator,  347. 

Speke,  68,  85,  86,  216,  467,  475. 
Speke  Gulf,  370,  379. 


INDEX. 


487 


Stanley,  10,  59,  61,  85,  86,  89,  93, 

Tyndall,  Prof.,  59. 

96,  104,  112.  114,  164,  183,  186, 

Type-setting,  S,  137. 

215,  217,  218,248,254,261,331, 

Tytherleigh,  Mr.,  299. 

334,  340,  356,  374,  375.  382,  386, 

387.  396,  397.  398,400,  403.407. 

Ugogo,  47,  78,  97,  216. 

411,421,467,  475. 

Ujiji,  56. 

Stock,  Eugene,  Esq.,  32,  125,  466, 

Ukara,  248. 

478,  479\ 

Ukerewe,  61,  62,  67,  74,  75,  76,  78, 

Stocker,  Hofprediger,  26. 

81,  84,  91,  97,  152,  222,  247. 

Stokes,  118,  263,  264,  267,  303. 

Ukumbi,   338,  357. 

Suahili,  43,  46,  72,  76,  78  to  241, 

Universities'  Mission,  51. 

363,  364,  408. 

University,  Edinburgh,  12. 

Suez,  216;  Canal,  392. 

Unyamwezi,  73,  78,  93,   216,  223, 

Suma,  King,  164,  184,  185. 

413- 

Sunday     Schools,     13,     72,     131  ; 

Unyanyembe,  56,  66,  67,  68,  72,  75, 

Services,    104,     108,     no,    112, 

88,    89,  90,  91,    125,   340,    350, 

120,  124,  125,  129,  130,  132,  136, 

391- 

138,  14s,  146,  153,  154,  160,  169, 

Urambo,  52. 

184,  264,  363. 

Urima,  241. 

Superstitions,  145,  196,  see  Witch- 

Usagara, 26,  46,  78,  2 1 6, 

craft. 

Usambiro,  373,  379,  381,382,  383, 

Surgeon,  in,  171,  194,  195,  234. 

3S5,  388,  389,  390. 

Useguha,  54,  78,  261,  263.                 j 

Taborah,  66. 

Usoga,  see  Busoga.             •                 ? 

Tanganyika,  340,  350. 

Usukuma,   64,    78,    92,     150,    222^ 

Tangirs.  261. 

247.  413-                                            { 

Tauchnitz,  8. 

Uyui,  65,  66,  75,79,  184,  213,267,' 

Tchad  (Lake),  290. 

299.  374.  376,  377,  378,  400. 

Teachers,   11,    144,   217,  247,  320, 

Uzaramo,  2l6. 

327- 

Uzongora,  see  Buzongora. 

Teaching,    12,    13,    73,    130,    135, 

137.    141,    153.    163,    165,    166, 

Victoria  Nyanza,  28,  30,  42,  62,  67, 

170,    171,    218,    229,    237,    240, 

68,  69,   75,  79  to  96,  238,  242, 

249,   332,   336,    340,    350,    35i» 

300,  316,  340,  368, 404,  411. 

366.  377,  390,  392. 

Theodore,  King,  270. 

Wadai,  290. 

Thompson,  Sir  Rivers,  419. 

Wadelai,  291,  292,  315,  354,  382, 

Thomson,  Dr.  Burns,  20,  24. 

387- 

Thomson,  Mr.  (R.G.S.),  263,  421. 

Wadoi,  the,  44,  88. 

Tipu  Tip,  347,  368,  436,  438. 

Waganda,  see  Baganda. 

Times,  the,  283,  434,  475. 

Wagogo,  88. 

Tischendorf,  8. 

Wahabis,  the,  422,  423. 

Tools,  54,  55.  83,  109. 

Wahehe,  the,  62. 

Trade,  107,  108,  166,  310. 

Wakerevve,  the,  77. 

Training  College,  j-^i?  Normal  School. 

Wakwavi,  the,  84. 

Tramway,  51. 

Walker,  Rev.  R.  H.,  299,  316,321, 

Translating,  14,  123,  141,  231,  237, 

373.  378,  379.  388,  395.  397,401, 

265,  334.  351.  352-  363.  394- 

403- 

Transvaal,  292. 

Waller,  Rev.  Horace,  368.                ' 

Tsetse,  108. 

Wami  River,  31,  34,  46. 

Turks,  289,  419,  420. 

Wangwana,  the,  228. 

488 


INDEX. 


Wnnika,  the.  279. 

Wilson,  Rev.  C.  T.,  32. 

Wanyamwezi.  the,  69,  71,  88,  \^^. 
Wasagara,  the,  88. 
Waseguha,  the,  88, 
Wasoga,  the,  82. 
Wasukuma,  the,  87. 

Wise,  237,  241,  244,  247, 

304,  374,  375.  376. 
Witchcraft,  126,  139,  147 

to  176,  215,  242. 
Workmen,  16,  54,  56. 

302,  303, 
149.  150 

Watson's,  George,  College,  13. 
Watt,  284. 
Watiila,  the,  84. 

Workshop,  139,  141,  153, 
Wright,  Rev.  Henry,  29, 

165.  250. 
30,  32- 

Weapons,  222,  223. 
Westcott,  Prof.,  386. 
Wilberforce,  89,  367. 

Zanzibar,  37,  40,  44,  48, 

436- 
Zoo,  the,   207. 

49,  50  to 

Date  Due 

^^5    a 

r 

Ap  ^  R  'i 

7 

i 

♦ 

1 

^ 

1           1 

